In Monte Carlo, a story. Translated from the Polish, with an introd. by S.C. de Soisson

IN MONTE CARLO

HENRYK SIENKIEWICZ

Reproduced by kind permission 'of J. M. Dtnt & Sens, Ltd.

MONTE CARLO

HENRYK SIENKIEWICZ

AUTHOR OF

"QUO VADIS," "WITH FIRE AND SWORD"

Translated from the Polish, with an Introduction
by

COUNT S. C. de SOISSONS

LONDON - - STANLEY PAUL & Co., Ltd.
PHILADELPHIA - DAVID McKAY COMPANY

THE

ATIONAL LIBRARY

.T,

Edited by F. L. LAWSON-JOHNSTON, B.A.

The Heptameron

Little Novels of Spain

Bontshe the Silent

In Monte Carlo

Hindu Tales

Sasha

A Dead Woman's Wish

Adolphe

Selected Stories

The Betrothed

The Fishermen

The Spider and the Fly

The Grasshopper

The Undying Race

The Shooting Party

The Decameron

The Angel of the Chimes

The Convict Colonel

The Prussian Terror

The Neapolitan Lovers

Paul and Virginia

Love and Liberty

The Mysteries of Paris

QUEEN OF NAVARRE
CERVANTES AND OTHERS
I. L. PERETZ
HENRYK SIENKIEWICZ
From the Sanscrit
ALEXANDER KUPRIN
EMILE ZOLA
BENJAMIN CONSTANT
GUY DE MAUPASSANT
ALESSANDRO MANZONI
DIMITRY GREGOROVITSH
ALFRED DE VIGNY
ANTON CHEKHOV
RENE MILAN
ANTON CHEKHOV
GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO
Du BOISGOBEY
Du BOISGOBEY
ALEXANDRE DUMAS
ALEXANDRE DUMAS
BERNADIN DE ST. PIERRE
ALEXANDRE DUMAS
EUGENE SUE

FURTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY THE DEVONSHIRE PRESS, TORQUAY.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Page

AN INTERRUPTED PROPOSAL . . .13

CHAPTER II
MRS. ELZEN AT HOME .... 34

CHAPTER III
THE NEXT MORNING . ... 52'

CHAPTER IV
THE RULING PASSION .... 94

CHAPTER V
A NIGHT OF SPECULATION .... 101

CHAPTER VI
A NEW MODEL . . . . .114

CHAPTER VII
MRS. ELZEN SHOWS HERSELF . . . 133

CHAPTER VIII
A NEW INTEREST IN LIFE .... 142

CHAPTER IX
A TRAGICAL FARCE . . . . .151

CHAPTER X
LOVE ...... 158

INTRODUCTIOK

THE author of Quo Vadis, one of the most
successful works of fiction published in recent
years, or perhaps ever issued — for in one year
over eight hundred thousand copies of the
English version alone were sold — is a Pole,
and not a Hungarian, as some literary and
other papers have described him. He was
seventy years of age when he died in 1916.

Several of his books have been translated
from the Polish into the English language for
the benefit of the great British reading public
— books of masterly, personal and simple
prose, which have been received with admira-
tion, for they are works of exceptional ability,
full of good and pure things, with all the
original humour, nobleness and charm con-
spicuously and naturally preserved.

At the beginning of his life, Sienkiewicz
wrote (under the pseudonym of " Litwos ")
7

8 INTRODUCTION

short stories of singular grace and ingenuity.
In those early stories the reader will frequently
come upon original thoughts on most general
problems and topics, combined with much deep
observation and criticism of life, expressed in
an easy and sincere manner. Many of the tales
were successfully translated into different lan-
guages, and one of them, " Anthea," was
accorded the extraordinary honour of being
rendered into Latin and printed in Vox Urbis,
a fortnightly review published in Rome by
the European mandarins — the cardinals and
prelates.

In historical triology, The Deluge, With Fire
and Sword, and Pan Michael, Sienkiewicz's
talent shines forth more powerfully than in
most of his other efforts. Here, the admirers
of romanticism will find historical fiction in
its highest form. This fantastically heroic
Pole is in the front rank, not only of Polish
romance writers past or present, but among
all the great masters of the craft in England,
France and Germany.

Sienkiewicz, being himself a nobleman, in

INTRODUCTION 9

his historical romances naturally describes the
glorious deeds of the Polish nobility ; who,
having been located on the frontier, so to
speak, of the Turks, Cossacks, Tartars and
Walachs, have defended Europe for centuries
from the invasions of barbarism, and have
thus enabled Germany, France, and even
England to outstrip Poland in the development
of national welfare and material advancement.

In the field of psychology, Sienkiewicz is
represented by two problem novels, Without
Dogma and Children of the Soil, whose chief
charm lies in the synthesis so seldom realised
in fiction, and the admirable beauty of expres-
sion employed. The author has a deep and
logical knowledge of psychological analysis,
which he turns to excellent account in the
present story, for herein his heroes are ani-
mated by intense personal feeling and egoism,
which, though only fictitious, appear less
deceitful than real life.

In Quo Vadis the whole alia Roma (from
the slaves carrying mosaics for their refined
masters to the patricians who were so enam-

io INTRODUCTION

cured of the beautiful that one of them, for
instance, used at every moment to kiss a
superb vase) stands before our eyes as if it
were reconstructed by a magical power from
ruins and death.

Sienkiewicz is a great favourite with the
English reading public, at least on the other
side of the Atlantic (though in England not
yet appreciated at his real value) for his con-
ception of love. As in most novels, love is
the principal subject, it is evident that the way
an author understands the passion provides
the keynote to the character of his works.
In Sienkiewicz's novels the different characters
love in different ways, but the ideal of love is
always high, noble and pure. He is not of
those workers who delight in carrying the
reader along the doubtful roads of physiology
and philosophical pornography. That is why
his novels are moral and healthy in tone. At
the same time, they are psychologically true,
for he looks on his characters from that point
of view which includes the entire gamut of
human nature. From all Sienkiewicz's novels

INTRODUCTION n

is wafted a pure, revivifying and soothing
breeze. His work is a manly lyricism as well
as epic, deepened by knowledge of life and
sustained by lofty thoughts. It is the out-
pouring of a worker who has travelled along
many roads, studied many things and learned
much bitterness, who has ridiculed many
weaknesses, and has at last perceived that a
man, to be himself, has only one aim above
human affairs — " to spin out love as the
silkworm spins its web."

S. C. DE SOISSONS.

IN MONTE CARLO

CHAPTER I

AN INTERRUPTED PROPOSAL

THE painter Svirski was sitting beside
Mrs. Elzen in an open carriage, while
facing them were her twin children,
Romulus and Remus. He was thinking
of her and looking at the sea ; for the
view and the scenery were worthy of
attention.

They were driving from Nice to Monte
Carlo, by the road called Old Corniche,
which stretches along the rocky shore.
On the left the view was cut off by
the high rocks, grey and bare ; to
the right lay the blue depths of the
Mediterranean, looking like a boundless
chasm.

13

14 IN MONTE CARLO

From the heights, as they rode along,
the fishermen's small boats seemed mere
white spots, and in the distance it was
difficult to distinguish the sails from
the seamews that skimmed the water.

Mrs. Elzen was leaning on Svirski 's
shoulder, gazing with her dreamy eyes
at the mirror-like sea, not seeming to
realise what she was doing.

Svirski felt her touch, and a thrill
of delight ran through him. He was
thinking that, but for the presence of
Romulus and Remus, he would clasp
her round the waist and press her to
his breast.

At the same time he feared that,
should he do so, he could no longer
delay, but would be obliged to propose
to her.

At that moment Mrs. Elzen said :

" Will you please stop the carriage ? '

Svirski did so, and for a while they
were silent.

" How calm it is after the noise

IN MONTE CARLO 15

of Monte Carlo ! '' said the young
widow.

" I can only hear music/' answered
the painter. ' It is probable they are
playing on board of an ironclad at Villa
Franca/'

And, in fact, the same wind which
bore the perfume of orange blossoms
and heliotrope, carried to them soft
strains of music.

Beneath, one could see the roofs of
villas scattered along the shore, nestling
in thickets of eucalyptus, with white
masses of almond blossom and palms
beside them. Lower still were seen the
blue waters of Villa Franca Harbour,
flooded with sunligh't and swarming with
large vessels.

The seething life beneath contrasted
strangely with the death-like silence
of the bare mountains, over which
hung a cloudless, transparent sky.
Here, amid those quiet rocks, all
plant-life grew stunted and died. The

16 IN MONTE CARLO

carriage itself seemed to be some tiny
insect glued to the rock.

" Here life ends entirety/' said Svirski,
looking on the bare stones.

Mrs. Elzen leaned more heavily on his
shoulder, and answered in a sleepy voice :

" To me it seems to begin again/'

Svirski answered her after a while,
with a certain emotion :

" It may be you are right/' And he
looked at her tenderly.

Mrs. Elzen raised her eyes to his, but
soon covered them with her eyelids,
as if she were confused. At that
moment she looked like a young girl
whose eyes cannot bear the first glim-
mering of love. Then they were both
silent, and only the sounds of the music
beneath them were heard.

In the meanwhile, out on the sea,
near the entrance to the harbour, a
white cloud of smoke appeared, and
then the quiet was broken by Remus,
who, jumping from his seat, exclaimed :

IN MONTE CARLO 17

" Tiens le ' Formidable ' I "

Mrs. Elzen looked angrily at her
younger twin. She regretted the intru-
sion of that moment, in which every
word would decide her future.

" Remus/' she said, " keep quiet."

" Mais, maman, c'est ' Formidable ' ! "

" What a dreadful boy \ "

" Pourquoi?"

"He is stupid, but this time he is
right," said Romulus. " Yesterday we
were in Villa Franca, and they told us
that the whole squadron was here ex-
cept the Formidable, which they expected
to-day."

To this Remus answered, with a stress
on the last syllable :

" You are stupid yourself ! '

Then they began to fight. Mrs. Elzen
knew how disgusted Svirski was with
the way the boys had been brought
up, and with the bad French which
they used continually. She ordered
them to be quiet, and then said :

B

i8 IN MONTE CARLO

** Mr. Kresovich and I are always
telling you that you must not speak any
other language than Polish/'

Kresovich was a consumptive student
irom Zurich. Mrs. Elzen had found
Jiim at the Riviera and engaged him
as tutor for her children, after she had
met Svirski ; owing chiefly to the
satirical remark of Mr. Viadrovski that
" respectable families do not educate
children to be travelling salesmen ! '

After a while the carriage, rattling
over the stones, moved on.

" It was you who asked me to bring
them with, us," said Mrs. Elzen, in a
sweet voice. " You are too kind to
them ; but we must come here some
moonlight night. Will you come ? '

" Every time you wish it," answered
Svirski. " There is no moon to-night,
and you will be late for your dinner."

" That is true," said Mrs. Elzen ;
" but can you tell me when it will be full
moon ? What a pity I did not ask you

IN MONTE CARLO 19

to dine with me alone ! During the
moonlight it must be charming here,
although to-night my heart is palpitat-
ing. If you could only know how it
is throbbing just now ! Look at my
pulse ; you can see it even through
the glove/'

And she showed her hand, clad in a
very neat glove, and offered it to Svirski.
He took it in both his hands and
looked.

" I can't see it," said he, " but I shall
be able to hear it."

And, bending his head, he placed his
ear on the buttons of the glove, pressed
the hand closely to his face, then kissed
it, and said :

" When I was a lad I used to catch
birds, and their hearts throbbed in ex-
actly the same way. Your pulse is
like a captive bird."

She smiled, almost sadly, and re-
reated :

" Like a captive bird ? " After a

20 IN MONTE CARLO

while she asked, " What did you do
with the captive birds ? ''

" I was very much attached to them,
but they always flew away/'

" Bad birds ! "

The painter proceeded with some
emotion :

" It has always happened so in my
life. I searched in vain for a bird that
would like to remain with me ; finally
I lost even hope/'

" No ! You must keep that/' ans-
wered Mrs. Elzen.

Here the painter said to himself that,
as this thing began so long ago, it must
be finished as it pleased God. At that
moment he seemed like a man who
stuffs his fingers into his ears and covers
his eyes with his hands when he is
about to plunge ; but he felt that it
must be done, and that there was no
time for reflection.

" Would you not prefer to take a
walk ? " he asked. " The carriage can

IN MONTE CARLO 21

follow us, and then we can talk more
freely."

" Very well/' said Mrs. Elzen, with
determination.

Svirski touched the coachman with
his stick ; the carriage stopped, and
they alighted. Romulus and Remus
rushed forward, throwing stones over
the precipice, while Svirski and Mrs.
Elzen remained behind. But evidently
there was some ill fate hanging over
them that day, for before they could
take advantage of the moment, they
perceived a cavalier from Monaco, fol-
lowed by a groom, stop where Romulus
and Remus were playing.

" It is De Sinten," said Mrs. Elzen,
impatiently.

" Yes, I recognise him/'

In fact, they noticed the head of the
horse, and above it the horse-like face
of young Baron de Sinten. He hesitated
before approaching but evidently thought
that if they had wished to be alone

22 IN MONTE CARLO

they would not have taken the boys
with them ; so he jumped from his
horse, and handing the reins to his
groom, greeted them with a bow.

" How do you do/' said Mrs. Elzen,
a little dryly. " It's your hour ? "

" Yes. In the morning I shoot
pigeons with Wilkisbey ; therefore, I
cannot ride, as it might disturb my
pulse. I have seven pigeons more
than he already. Do you know that
the Formidable is coming to Villa
Franca to-day, and that the admiral
gives a ball on board the day after
to-morrowr ? '

" We saw her coming in/'

' I was just going to Villa Franca
to see an officer — a friend of mine ;
but it's too late now. If you will permit
me, I will return with you to Monte
Carlo."

Mrs. Elzen assented with a nod, and
they walked on together. Sinten, being
a horseman by vocation, immediately

IN MONTE CARLO 23

began to talk about the hunter he had
been riding.

" I purchased him from Waxdorf,"
he said. " Waxdorf lost in trente et
quarante and was in need of money.
He played on inverse and had met with
a series of six, but then the cards-
changed/' Then he turned to his horse,
saying, " Pure Irish blood, and I bet
my neck there is no better hunter in
all Corniche, though he is difficult to
mount/'

" Does he shy ? " asked Svirski.

" Once you are on his back he is as
gentle as a child. He is already accus-
tomed to me, but you could not
mount him/'

Svirski, who in matters of sport was
very vain, said :

" Why not ? "

" Better not brag — at least, not
here on the precipice," exclaimed Mrs.
Elzen.

But Svirski had already gone up to

24 IN MONTE CARLO

the horse, and in the twinkling of an eye
was sitting in the saddle, without any
resistence from the horse, which, though
perhaps capricious, evidently thought
it better not to cut any fancy capers on
the precipice.

The horse and rider disappeared in
a short gallop at the turn of the
road.

" He is sitting quite well/' said the
baron, " but he will ruin my horse. To
speak truly, there are no roads here for
riding/'

" Your horse proved to be very quiet/'
said Mrs. Elzen.

" I am glad of it, as I was afraid
there would be an accident/'

On his face, however, there was a
look of embarrassment ; in the first
place, because what he said about the
difficulty in mounting the horse must
sound like a lie ; and there was already
a certain antipathy between him and
Svirski.

IN MONTE CARLO 25

It is true that De Sinten had never
had any serious plans in regard to Mrs.
Elzen, but he preferred that no one
should interfere with those he held.
Besides, a few days before there had
been some bitter words exchanged
between him and Svirski. The baron,
being an absolute aristocrat, once said,
during a dinner at Mrs. Elzen 's hotel
that, " in his opinion, the man begins
with a baron/' To that Svirski, who
was in bad humour, asked, " On which
side ? " The young man took this
question very much to heart, and began
to consult Mr. Viadrovski and Counsellor
Kladzki as to how he should act. Then
he learned, to his great astonishment
that Svirski had a princely crown in
his coat-of-arms. The knowledge of
Svirski's extraordinary strength, and his
skill in the use of pistols, pacified the
baron's nerves so that the angry words
only left a feeling of dislike in both
hearts.

26 IN MONTE CARLO

The painter, however, felt it the more
of the two. Nobody thought that the
affair would end in matrimony, but
among acquaintances they began to talk
of his sentiment for Mrs. Elzen. On his
part, he suspected that De Sinten and
his companion were laughing at him.
It is true they did not betray themselves
by word, but Svirski thought so, and
he resented it ; principally for Mrs.
Elzen's sake.

Therefore he was glad that, thanks to
the peaceful disposition of the horse,
De Sinten appeared to be a man who
would always lie without a reason ; so,
on his return, he said :

" A very good horse ; and he is good
because he is as quiet as a lamb."

Then he dismounted, and they walked
on together.

Mrs. Elzen, in order to get rid of De
Sinten, began to talk about art, of which
the young sportsman had not even the
slightest idea. But he preferred to tell

IN MONTE CARLO 27

them the gossip of the gambling estab-
lishment ; and he congratulated her
on her good luck the previous night.
She listened with constraint, being
ashamed to be reminded before Svirski
that she had participated in the game.
Her embarrassment increased when
Romulus said :

{t Maman, you told us you would never
gamble. Give each of us a louis to play,
will you ? ''

She answered, as if not talking to
anyone in particular :

" I was looking for Counsellor Kladzki,
to invite him to dinner to-day ; and we
stayed for a little game/'

" Give each of us a louis/' repeated
Romulus.

" Or buy us a small roulette table/'
added Remus.

" Don't tease me. Let us go to
the carriage. Au revoir, Monsieur de
Sinten."

28 IN MONTE CARLO

" At seven ? "

"At seven."

Then they separated, and Svirski again
found himself sitting beside the beautiful
widow ; but this time they were
occupying the front seat, as they wished
to look at the sunset.

" They say that Monte Carlo is better
sheltered than Mentone/' said the widow ;
" but how it tires me ! — this continual
noise, the movement, and the acquaint-
ances one is obliged to make. Some-
times I wish I could run away from here,
and spend the rest of the winter in some
quiet corner where I should only see
people I like. Which place do you like
the best ? "

" I like St Raphael very much/'

" Yes, but it is so far from Nice/1 she
answered in a soft voice, " and you have
your studio in Nice/'

A moment of silence followed, then
Mrs. Elzen asked again :

" How about Antibes ? "

IN MONTE CARLO 29

" That's true. I had almost forgotten
Antibes."

"It is so near Nice. You must
stay after dinner ; then we can decide
which will be the best place to go to."

He looked into the depths of her eyes,
and asked :

" Would you truly like to escape from
all these people ? '

" Let us speak frankly/' she answered.
" Your question makes me hesitate. You
suspect that I am talking in order to
appear better, or, at least less super-
ficial, than I am. It is natural for
you to think so because you see me
continually in the whirlpool of society.
But you forget that we are often driven
to follow the crowd ; only because we
are in that direction against our will
and must bear the consequences of
our previous life. As for me, it may be
that I betray the feebleness of a woman
who, without someone's help, lacks
energy. Granted. But it does not pre-

30 IN MONTE CARLO

vent me from longing very sincerely
for some peaceful corner and a quiet
life. People may say what they please,
but we women are like climbing plants—
when they cannot climb they crawl on
the ground ; therefore men are often
mistaken in thinking we crawl volun-
tarily. By this crawling I mean merely
an empty life with no higher aspirations.
But how can I defend myself against it ?
Somebody asks his friend for an intro-
duction to me ; then he pays me a visit
—persists in continuing the acquaint-
ance, and so on. What can I do ?
Refuse him ? On what ground ? There-
fore I invite him, but only because the
more people I have in my drawing-room
the better I can remain indifferent to
them, and in that way no one can secure
an exclusive position/'

" You are right in that/' said Svirski.

' You see, in that way how the

stream of worldly life is created about

me, which I cannot get rid of, though it

IN MONTE CARLO 31

often tires and disgusts me so much
that I almost cry from weariness."

" I believe you/' said the painter.

" You ought to believe me ; but you
must believe this also — 1 am better and
less frivolous than I appear. When
any doubts arise, or when people talk
of me, you must think that I possess
some good qualities. If you will not
believe me I shall be very unhappy."

" I give you my word that I always
think the best of you."

" It ought to be so/' she answered in
a soft voice ; ' because, even if all the
good in me had been killed it would
come to life again in your company.
It depends so much with whom one lives.
I would like to say something, but I am
afraid."

" Tell me ! "

" But you must not accuse me of being
excited, or of anything wTorse. I am
talking like a well-balanced woman, who
only states that which exists, though

32 IN MONTE CARLO

wondering a little at the fact. Well
then, with you I find my perverse soul
all quiet and sunny, just as when I
was a young girl, although to-day I am
an old woman. I am thirty-five years
of age/'

Svirski looked at her with a beaming,
almost enamoured, face ; then he slowly
raised her hand to his lips, after which
he said :

" Ah ! beside me you are still a young
girl, for I am forty-eight — there is my
picture." Saying this, he pointed with
his finger at the sunset.

And she looked toward that light,
which found reflection in her radiant
eyes ; then she spoke softly, as to
herself :

" Great, marvellous, dear sun ! "

Then followed a silence, while a quiet,
yet glowing, light fell on their faces. It
was the " great and marvellous sun J;
which was setting ; and underneath it the
light, transparent, clouds shone like gold.

IN MONTE CARLO 33

Near the shore the sea was plunged
in shadow, but farther away on the deep
there was a great gleam ; while beneath,
on the lilac background of the air, the
motionless^cypresses stood out.

CHAPTER II

MRS. ELZEN AT HOME

THE guests invited by Mrs. Elzen gathered
at the Hotel de Paris at seven o'clock in
the evening. She had taken a separate
dining-room, with a small drawing-room
attached, in which the coffee was served
after dinner. The lady had spoken of
" an informal affair," but the men did
not know what to think about it, and
they came in evening dress with white
cravats. The hostess was dressed in
a pale, pink, low-cut dress, and looked
quite young and fresh with the delicate
face and small head which so enchanted
Svirski. Her ample shoulders were
white and transparent, like mother-of-
pearl, while her eyes beamed with
happiness.

Among the guests, besides Svirski and

34

IN MONTE CARLO 35

the Baron de Sinten, were the old Coun-
sellor Kladzki, with his nephew Sigis-
mond, a young nobleman, not very
polished but very audacious, whose eyes
shone too brightly as he looked at Mrs.
Elzen; the Prince Valerian Porecki, a
man of forty years, with a large face,
bald head, and the pointed skull of an
Aztec ; Mr. Viadrovski, rich and malic-
ious, owner of petroleum wells in Galicia,
art amateur and dilettante ; and Kreso-
vich, the temporary tutor of Romulus
and Remus. Mrs. Elzen had invited
him because Svirski liked his " fanatical
face/' as he put it.

The young hostess had always wished,
and now wished more than ever, to have
an " intellectual salon/' But she could
not at first turn the conversation from
local gossip and incidents of the gambling
house, which Viadrovski called " Slav,"
because one could hear more Slav
spoken there than any other language.
Viadrovski spent his time in Monte

36 IN MONTE CARLO

Carlo laughing at his own countrymen
and other younger Slav brothers. It
was his hobby ; therefore he began to
relate that two days ago he had seen
in the Cercle de la Mediterranee, at
six o'clock in the morning, only seven
people and all Slavs.

" We were born that way/' said he,
turning to the hostess. " Other people
count thus — Nine, ten, eleven, twelve,
etc. ; but every true Slav will say-
Nine, ten, jack, queen, king/'

To that the prince with the pointed
skull pronounced, with the voice of a
man who has discovered something
hitherto unknown, that though every
abused passion is perilous, many dis-
tinguished foreigners, whose acquaint-
ance is valuable and useful, belong to
the Cercle de la Mediterranee. One can
serve one's country everywhere. Three
days ago he met an Englishman there,
Mr. Chamberlain's friend, and this
Englishman asked him about Poland;

IN MONTE CARLO 37

and he, the prince, wrote down the
whole political and economic situation
and the special social conditions on his
calling-card. This card most assuredly
will reach, if not Mr. Chamberlain's
hands, at least Lord Salisbury's, which
would be still better. They will prob-
ably meet Lord Salisbury at the ball
which the French admiral is giving.
During this ball the Formidable will be
lighted, a giorno, with electricity.

Kresovich, who was not only con-
sumptive but a " red," and hated the.
society in which, as the tutor of
Romulus and Remus, he was obliged
to live, began to laugh like B. hyena,
about the visiting-card. Mrs. Elzen, not
wishing to pay any attention to him,
said :

" At any rate, people here do marvels.
I hear that the whole way from Nice to
Marseilles will be lighted by electricity/'

' The engineer Ducloz was preparing
such a plan," said Svirski, '" but he died

38 IN MONTE CARLO

a couple of months ago. He was such
an enthusiastic electrician that he left
directions in his will for his tomb to be
lighted by electricity/'

" It ought to be written on his tomb-
stone/' said Viadrovski, ' Eternal rest
give him, O Lord, and may electricity
light him for aye and aye. Amen ! '

But the old counsellor scolded him
for joking on serious things ; then he
attacked the whole Riviera. Everything
there is pretext and humbug, begin-
ning with the people and ending with
the place. Everywhere one meets mar-
quises, counts and viscounts, but one
must take care they do not steal one's
handkerchief from one's pocket. It is
the same with comfort ; you could put
five such small rooms as the one they
gave him in the hotel in one of the rooms
at his estate. The doctors sent him to
Nice to get fresh air, and the Promenade
des Anglais smells like a Jewish back-
yard— his nephew Sigismond can testify

IN MONTE CARLO 39

to it. But Sigismond's eyes were look-
ing at Mrs. Elzen's shoulders, and he
did not hear anything.

"You must go to Bordighiera," said
Svirski. " The Italian dirt is artistic
at least."

" But you are living in Nice just the

same/'

" Because I can't find a studio on the
other side of Ventimigli. But if I
changed, I should go to Antibes."

Here he looked at Mrs. Elzen, who
smiled and lowered her eyes.

After a while, however, wishing to
give an artistic tendency to the con-
versation, she began to talk of Rumpel-
meyer's exhibition and of some new
pictures she had seen two days ago,
which the French journalist Krauss
called impressionistico-decadants. Via-
drovski raised his voice and asked, with
the tone of Pyrron :

" Who are decadants anyhow ? "

" One might say/' answered Svirski,

40 IN MONTE CARLO

' that they are people who prefer the
different sauces, with which art is served,
to art itself/'

But the Prince Porecki was vexed at
Kladzki's opinion of marquises, counts
and viscounts. " Even the rascals com-
ing here belong to the higher species of
rascals, and they are not satisfied with
stealing a handkerchief. One can meet
great pirates here. But besides these,
the most refined and richest people come
here, and it is very proper that the
bankers meet the nobility, because in
that way the world becomes polished !
Mr. Kladzki ought to read novels like
Idylle Tragique, and he would persuade
himself that, besides suspicious char-
acters, one met the best people here —
social equals of those on the Formidable,

They began to talk about Idylle
Tragique. Young Kladzki, speaking
of the hero of that novel, remarked on
his folly in giving up a woman for a
friend, swearing that he, Kladzki, would

IN MONTE CARLO 41

not do it — not for ten friends — but would
for his own brother. Viadrovski inter-
rupted him, French novels being his
other hobby.

" What makes me angry/' said he, " is
this selling of dyed foxes for natural
ones. If those gentlemen are realists
they must write the truth. Have they
given any real thought to their heroines ?
The tragedy begins by the lady fighting
with herself and continuing to struggle
most dreadfully through half the volume ;
yet from the first page I know, upon
my word, how it will end. How tedious
it is, and how often repeated. I admit
that fast women must be tolerated,
and that they have a certain right to
a place in literature ; but they must not
offer me a fast woman as a tragical
princess ; when I know that such souls
have had lovers before the tragedy began
and will have them again after it ends.
They will struggle again as before, and
everything will finish in the same way.

42 IN MONTE CARLO

What a falsehood, what an atrophy of
moral sense and the sense of truth !
And to think that those farces of the
boudoir are read, received in our country
as good merchandise, accepted as if they
were dramas, and taken quite seriously !
In that way the difference between the
honest woman and the fast woman
diminishes, and the right of citizenship
is given to cuckoos with no nests of
their own. Then such a French gilding
is put on our dolls, that they do any-
thing under the flag of these authors ! In
such books there are neither principles,
characters, sentiment of duty nor moral
sense — nothing but false aspirations —
a psychological conundrum ! '

Viadrovski was too intelligent not to
understand that by talking in this way
he was throwing a stone at Mrs. Elzen ;
but he was a thoroughly malicious man,
and spoke thus on purpose. Mrs. Elzen
listened to his words with considerable
dissatisfaction, although she saw much

IN MONTE CARLO 43

truth in them. Svirski was anxious to
answer him sharply, but he saw that
he could not put a personal reference
on to Viadrovski's words, and preferred
to treat the whole matter from another
point of view.

" As for me/' said he, " I have noticed
that in French novels all women are
sterile. Elsewhere, when two people are
in love, in a legitimate or illegitimate
way, the consequence of their love is
a child ; but here nobody has children.
How strange it is ! These gentlemen
who write the novels choose to think
that love can remain unpunished/'

" Such society ! such literature ! '
answered old Kladzki. " It is known
that the population is diminishing in
France. Among the higher classes a
child is rare ! "

" But it is more comfortable and more
elegant/' said De Sinten.

Kresovich, who had sneered before,
now said :

44 IN MONTE CARLO

"It is the literature of a slothful
people, and must perish with them/'

" What do you say ? " asked De
Sin ten.

The student turned his passionate face
to him.

" I say it is a literature of a slothful
people."

" Every class of people has its duties
and its pleasures/' said the prince. " I
have two passions — politics and photo-
graphy/'

The dinner was almost ended, and a
quarter of an hour later they all passed
to the little drawing-room, where coffee
was served. Mrs. Elzen lighted a thin
cigarette, and leaning comfortably in an
arm-chair, crossed her feet. It seemed
to her that a certain nonchalance ought
to please Svirski, who was an artist and
a Bohemian.

But as she was comparatively short
and had large hips, in the act of crossing
her feet her dress was raised too high.

IN MONTE CARLO 45

Young Kladzki immediately dropped a
handkerchief and began to search on the
floor, for at heart he was a cad ; he was
looking for it so long that his uncle was
obliged to whisper to him angrily :

"What are you thinking of? Have
some decency about you/'

The young nobleman stretched himself
and whispered back :

" That's the trouble, that I don't know
where I am."

Mrs. Elzen knew by experience that
even well-bred men, when they have
the smallest opportunity, become rough,
especially in the presence of women
without protection. This time, it is true,
she did not see young Kladzki's move-
ment, but having noticed the disdainful
and almost cynical smile with which
he answered his uncle, she was sure he
was talking about her. And she felt a
contempt for all the company, with the
exception of .Svirski and Kresovich,
whom she suspected of being in love

46 IN MONTE CARLO

with her, notwithstanding his hatred of
women of her social rank. But she
almost had an attack of hysterics that
evening on account of Viadrovski's talk,
because it seemed he wished to poison
every spoonful of coffee she took, in
exchange for her good dinner. He spoke
generally and apparently objectively
about women, not overstepping the limits
of decency ; but at the bottom of his
talk there was not only cynicism but
also plenty of allusions to her character
and social standing ; and those allusions
were offensive and very unpleasant,
especially in Svirski's presence, who
suffered very much on that account.

Therefore a load was lifted from her
heart when the guests finally departed
and the painter alone remained.

" Ah ! " she exclaimed, breathing freely
" I feel the beginning of a headache ! '
" Have they tired you ? "
" Yes, yes ; more than that."
" Why do you invite them ? "

IN MONTE CARLO 47

As if unable to control her nerves
she approached him feverishly.

" Sit down and do not move ! I don't
know — perhaps you will think ill of
me, but I need it like medicine. This
way ! To remain this wray with an
honest man ! This way ! '

Having said this, she sat beside him,
put her head on his shoulder and closed
her eyes.

" Yes, only a moment ! only a moment ! "

Suddenly her eyelids were moistened
with tears, but she pressed Svirski's lips
with her finger in order to prevent him
from speaking.

His heart throbbed, for he was almost
as soft as wax when he saw a woman
crying. He was pleased with the con-
fidence she placed in him. He under-
stood that the decisive moment had
come ; therefore, encircling her wraist
with his arm, he said :

" Remain with me for ever ; give me
the right to protect you."

48 IN , MONTE CARLO

Mrs. Elzen did not answer ; but from
her eyes rolled big, quiet tears.

" Be mine/' repeated SvirskL

Then she placed her hand on his other
shoulder and nestled to him as a child
nestles to its mother.

And Svirski, bending down, kissed her
forehead ; then he began to kiss away
her tears, and gradually the flame of
love seized him. After a while he took
her in his arms, pressed her to his
breast, and touched her mouth with his
lips.

But she defended herself.

" No ! no ! " she said breathlessly ;
" you are not like the others. No ! no !
Have mercy ! '

Svirski held her in his arms, and at
that moment he was exactly like the
others; but, happily for Mrs. Elzen,
a soft knocking at the door was heard,
and they quickly drew apart.

" Who is there ? " asked Mrs. Elzen,
impatiently.

IN MONTE CARLO 49

Kresovich's gloomy face appeared in
the doorway.

" Excuse me," said he, with trembling
voice ; " Romulus is coughing, and I am
afraid he has the fever. I thought it
best to let you know."

Svirski arose.

" Shall I go for a doctor ? "

But Mrs. Elzen had already recovered
her coolness.

" No, thank you/' she said ; " if
necessary wre can send someone from the
hotel ; but I must see the child. Excuse
me, but I must go to him, poor boy.
Therefore, until to-morrow ! '

Saying this, she stretched out her
hand to him, and Svirski raised it to
his mouth.

' Until to-morrow and every day ;
au revoir ! '

Mrs. Elzen, now alone with Kresovich,
looked at him inquiringly.

" What is the matter with Romu-
lus ? "

D

50 IN MONTE CARLO

He became still paler, and answered
almost roughly :

" Nothing ! "

" What do you mean ? " she asked,
frowning.

" It means that you must chase me out,
as I am going mad ! ' And he went.

Mrs. Elzen stood for a while with the
lightning of anger in her eyes and
irowning eyebrows, but gradually her
brows smoothed. In fact, she was thirty-
five years old, and here was new proof
that even now nobody could resist her.

After a while she approached the
mirror, as if seeking confirmation.

Meanwhile Svirski was returning to
Nice in an empty railroad car, continually
raising his hands, which were scented
with heliotrope, to his face. He felt
uneasy, though happy, and the blood
rushed to his head when he recalled
Mrs. Elzen 's favourite perfume.

CHAPTER III

THE NEXT MORNING

THE next day, however, when he awoke,
his head was heavy, as though he had
spent the night drinking, and there
was a great uneasiness in his heart.
When daylight falls upon theatrical
scenery, then that w*hich during the
evening looked enchanting appears to be
a daub. The same effect occurs in life.
Svirski had not met with anything un-
expected. He knew that he was drifting
toward what had happened the previous
night, and that he must eventually
reach it ; but now when everything
was ended an incomprehensible fear
seized him. He thought yesterday that
he could retreat, but to-day it was too
late. In vain he repeated to himself

52 IN MONTE CARLO

that there was no time for reasoning.
The different objections to Mrs. Elzen
which he had made to himself, and
^especially in regard to marriage with
"her, returned to his mind. The voice
which before had constantly whispered
into his ear, " Don't be an ass ! " now
began to shout, " You are an ass ! '
And he could silence it neither by argu-
ment, nor by repeating "It is done ! '
because common sense told him that he
had done a stupid thing, and the cause
of it was his own weakness.

And at this thought he was ashamed.
Were he a youngster, he could excuse
himself for his lack of experience. Had
he just met this lady on the Riviera, and
heard nothing about her, he might also
be justified. It is true he had seen her
seldom, but he had heard everything
about her, for in Warsaw they talked
more about her than anybody else.
They called her the "Monster-wife,"
and the local gossips used to sharpen

IN MONTE CARLO 53

their witty tongues on her as a knife
is sharpened on a stone ; which, however,
did not stop men from crowding to her
drawing-room.

The women, although more hostile to
her, received her also, on account of
the numerous connections by which she
was linked to society people. Some
of them, especially those to whose in-
terest it was that public opinion should
not be too severe, even defended the
beautiful widow. Others, less indulgent,
did not dare to close the door against
her, because they dare not be the first
to do so. A certain local play- writer,
hearing someone call Mrs. Elzen a
" demi-monde," said that she was neither
" the whole world nor half a world,
but rather three-quarters of an hour
of the world." But, as in larger cities
everything rough is smoothed over, so
Mrs. Elzen 's situation was smoothed also.
Her friends used to say, " It's true that
one cannot ask extraordinary virtues

54 IN MONTE CARLO

from Helene ; but she has her good
qualities/' And unknowingly they
granted her the right to be more
free than others. Sometimes they sug-
gested that before her husband's death
she had not lived with him for several
years ; sometimes they muttered that
she was bringing up Romulus and
Remus to be clowns, or that she did
not care about them at all. Had Mrs.
Elzen been less beautiful and less rich no
one would have paid any attention to
such malicious remarks. But the men
did not restrain themselves in their
conversation about her. Even those
who were in love with her attacked
her through jealousy ; the only silent
one being he who wished to appear
more lucky than the others.

In general, however, the malignity
went so far that it was said that Mrs.
Elzen had one lover for her sojourn
in the city during the winter, and
another for the summer season. Svirski

IN MONTE CARLO 55

knew all about this. He knew even
more than others, because a certain
Mrs. Bronish, with whom he wras ac-
quainted in Warsaw, being a good
friend of the beautiful widow, told him
about some serious accident to Mrs-
Elzen which was followed by a long
illness. " God only knows how terribly
poor Helene suffered, and it was a
mercy it came beforehand, in order to
preserve her from greater moral suffer-
ings ! ': It is true that Svirski supposed
that this " serious accident " was purely
a lie ; but it was impossible for him to
have any illusions about Mrs. Elzen,
or at least he could not believe she
was a woman whom it was safe to
trust with one's happiness.

Yet her reputation excited his curios-
ity and attracted him towards her.
Having heard of her sojourn in Monte
Carlo, he wished to meet her and know
her better. As an artist he wished
also to see for himself the charm by

56 IN MONTE CARLO

which this woman, so generally slandered,
bewitched men.

At first he experienced only disillu-
sion. She was beautiful and sensually
attractive, but he noticed that she
lacked kindness and good-will towards
people. Men interested her only so
far as they stood in some relation
to her — were necessary to her. Beyond
that she was as indifferent as a stone.
Svirski did not notice in her any ad-
miration for intellectual life, for litera-
ture, for art. She took from it what
was necessary to her, giving nothing
in return. And he, an artist and a
thinking man, understood perfectly that
such a state of the soul betrays a barbar-
ous and gross nature, notwithstanding all
outward and refined appearances. He
had known such women before. He
knew that they dominated people by a
certain strength, produced b}^ determina-
tion and a large, absolute egotism.
About such women he had often said,

IN MONTE CARLO 57

" She is cold but intelligent/' And he
always thought of such women with
disdain. According to his judgment they
were without higher culture, and even
common sense, because the common
sense which wants all for itself and
grants nothing to others is the attribute
of animals. In Mrs. Elzen, as well as in
Romulus and Remus, he saw the type
where culture begins and ends at the
skin, leaving untouched the plebeian
and rougher depths. Besides, he was
shocked by her cosmopolitanism. In
fact, she was like a worn-out piece of
money — it was difficult to distinguish
to what country she belonged ; Svirski
was disgusted, not only because he
had definite opinions about patriotism,
but also as a man acquainted with
really good society, knowing that the
best people in England, France and
Italy looked with disdain on those
Nicean-cosmopolite waving weeds with-
out roots.

58 IN MONTE CARLO

Viadrovski was right in saying that
Romulus and Remus were being brought
up as travelling salesmen or like porters
in big hotels. It was well known that
Mrs. Elzen's father had a title, also that
her grandfather was an overseer ; and it
appeared perfectly comical to Svirski,
who possessed an appreciation of the
ridiculous in a high degree, that the
grandsons of an overseer did not speak
good Polish. They were good-looking
boys, even very good-looking. Svirski,
however, with his fine artistic sense,
felt that in those bird-like skulls and
bird-like faces the beauty was not in-
herited, but something accidental, some
physiological accident. In vain he said to
himself that their mother was also beauti-
ful ; a feeling always remained in him that
the beauty did not belong either to the
mother or to the sons, and that they were
parvenus, pecuniarily as well as morally
and physically. But longer contact with
them weakened those impressions.

IN MONTE CARLO 59

.From the beginning of their ac-
quaintance, Mrs. Elzen was immediately
attracted towards him, and she pre-
ferred him to others. She understood
that he was worth more than her other
friends ; he had a good name, he was
rich, and famous. It is true he was
not young, but she was thirty-five, and
his herculean strength could renew
his youth. Finally, to marry him meant
the recovery of honour and moral posi-
tion to the woman of whom people
spoke with contempt.

True enough, she could see it would
be difficult to capture him, but she
knew that he was good, and, like every
artist, had a certain amount of na'ivete
at the bottom of his soul ; therefore
Mrs. Elzen calculated that she would
be able to bend him towards her. And
she was guided not only by pure
calculation ; while he let himself be
attracted ; he attracted her also. And
at last she believed that she was

60 IN MONTE CARLO

in love with him — she was mire of it.

Many intelligent men act as he had
acted. His common sense abandoned
him the moment his senses began to
speak ; and, worse still, he went into
their service ; and instead of righting
them, he was obliged to furnish them
with arguments. In that way Svirski,
who knew and understood everything,
began to justify and to defend her, to be
indulgent, generous to certain things.

" It's true," he said to himself, " that
neither her character nor her conduct
provide any guarantee for the future,
but who will prove to me that she is not
tired of her present mode of existence,
not longing with her whole soul for a
serious life ? Without any doubt, there
is much coquetry in her conduct, but
who can prove that she does not display
this coquetry because she loves me
sincerely ? It is childish to imagine
that a woman of her kind does not
possess any good qualities. Ah ! the

IN MONTE CARLO 61

human soul — what a mixture ! With
opportunity her good qualities may be
developed and the bad disappear. Mrs.
Elzen is no longer young. How stupid
it would be to admit that there is no
voice in her speaking of a virtuous,
quiet life, of peace and tranquillity !
Precisely for these reasons such a woman
may better appreciate an honest man
who guarantees her all these things."

This last argument appeared to him
particularly just and deep. Previously
common sense had told him that Mrs.
Elzen wished to catch him, but he
answered now, " She is right, for after
all every one — even the most ideal woman
—who wishes to marry the man she
loves, does wish to ' catch ' him/'

The hope of having children tran-
quillised him in regard to the future.
He thought that then she would have
someone to love, and would be obliged
to give up her frivolities, for she would
not have enough time - - and before

62 IN MONTE CARLO

the children had grown up her youth
would be passed, and home life would
attract her more than the world. Finally
he said to himself, " I must live before
old age comes ; I shall spend a few
years with a beautiful, interesting
woman, and every day will be a holiday
to me."

And those " few years " were in fact
the principal attraction for him. It is
true that there was something humiliat-
ing to Mrs. Elzen in the fact that he
was not afraid because she was no longer
young, and all risk would soon pass
away. But he did not admit to him-
self that, strictly speaking, this was the
foundation of his hope — -and he de-
ceived himself, as people always do
when common sense becomes the servant
of the passions.

Notwithstanding all these reasonings,
he awakened with uneasiness and dis-
gust. He could not forget two things.
In the first place, that if someone had

IN MONTE CARLO 63

told him a month ago he was going to
propose to Mrs. Elzen, he would have
looked upon him as an idiot. Secondly,
he knew that friendship with her, which
consisted in uncertainty, in mutual
guessing of looks and thoughts, in
unfinished words, in suspended avowals
and reciprocal attraction, would prove
more charming than the certainties of
possession. It was more agreeable to
Svirski to anticipate the betrothal than
to become affianced ; and if his pleasure
in becoming a husband should grow less
in the same proportion as the pleasure
of being affianced had diminished —
then deuce take such a life ! There
were moments in which the thought
that he was bound, and, willing or
not, would be obliged to take Mrs.
Elzen, with Romulus and Remus, in his
boat of life, appeared to him almost
unbearable. In those moments, being
a loyal man, he did not curse Mrs.
Elzen, but he cursed Romulus and

64 IN MONTE CARLO

Remus — their bird-like, narrow heads
and bird-like skulls.

" I had my sorrows, but, in fact, I
was as free as a bird, and could put
my whole soul into my pictures/' he
said to himself, " and now the devil
knows how it will be ! '

Here the sorrows of the painter
spoiled his humour altogether, although
they gave another direction to his
thoughts. Mrs. Elzen and the whole
matrimonial affair began to retreat
into the background, and the picture—
" Dream and Death " —came out to the
foreground. He had been painting
this picture several months, and he
considered it of great importance,
because he proposed by it to protest
against the generally-accepted idea of
death. Often in conversation with his
friends, Svirski had been vehement
against the Christianity which intro-
duced the skeleton into life and art, as
a representation of death. To Svirski

IN MONTE CARLO 65

it appeared outrageous. The Greeks
imagined Thanatos as a genius with
wings, and they were right. What can
be more ugly and more frightful than
a skeleton ? Christians, at least, who
see in death the gate to a new life,
ought not to have painted it in that
image. According to Svirski, this idea
was born of the gloomy German spirit,
the same which developed the majestic,
grand, Gothic style, but which is so de-
pressing, as though the church were not
a passage to the light of heaven, but
to subterraneous and hopeless chasms.
Svirski was astonished that the Renaiss-
ance had not changed the symbol of
death. If death were not an eternal
silence, and would be able to complain,
it would say, ' Why do people repre-
sent me by the figure of a skeleton ?
The skeleton is precisely the thing for
which I do not wish/'

Therefore, in Svirski's picture, the
genius of sleep was gently offering the

66 IN MONTE CARLO

body of a girl to the genius of death ;
who, bending over her, softly blew out
the flame of a small lamp burning
above her head. While painting,
Svirski repeated to himself, "It is
necessary that the man who looks at
it should say to himself before all,
' Ah ! how quiet it is ! ' And he
wanted this silence to flow over the
spectators from the lines, from the
figure, from the expression, from the
colouring. He thought also that were
he able to produce this impression,
and if the picture could explain itself,
it would become a remarkable work.

But there was something more he
cared about. Following the stream of
time, he agreed that painting must
avoid literary ideas ; he understood,
however, that there is a great difference
between giving up literary ideas and
producing a thoughtless reproduction of
the exterior world as a photographic
plate produces it. Shape, colour, posi-

IN MONTE CARLO 67

tion — nothing more ! As if the duty
of a painter were to kill in him-
self the thinking being ! And he
remembered that every time he saw,
for instance, the pictures of English
painters, he was struck before all with
the high intellectual level of those
artists. One could see from their
canvases that they were masters of
spiritual culture, very much developed
psychically, thinking deeply, often great
students. He had seen something quite
different in Poles. With a few ex-
ceptions, the majority of them were
capable men, but thoughtless, very little
developed, and with no education. They
lived on old doctrinaire crumbs falling
from French tables, not admitting for
a moment that one can say anything
original about art, to create it in the
Polish way. It was clear to Svirski
that they welcomed the doctrine which
did not require them to think. To be
called an artist, but in the, meanwhile

68 IN MONTE CARLO

to be a clown as far as the soul was
concerned, was a very comfortable thing.
To read, to know, to think — to the deuce
with such aspirations !

Syirski believed that if even a land-
scape is a state of the soul, it is necessary
that this soul should not be the soul
of a peasant, but subtle, impressive,
developed, worked out. He discussed
passionately, and quarrelled about it
with his comrades. " I don't ask you/'
he shouted, " to paint as well as French-
men, Englishmen, or Spaniards. I want
you to paint better. Before all, in
your own way. And the one who does
not strive to be original ought to turn
shoemaker ! '

And he tried to prove that it does
not matter whether a picture repre-
sents a stack of hay, or hens scratching
in a barnyard, or potatoes in a field,
or horses in a pasture, or a corner of
still water in a pond, the principal
thing, dominating everything in it, must

IN MONTE CARLO 69

be the soul. Therefore, in his paintings
he tried to put as much of his soul
as he could, the last of his works being
" Hypnos and Thanatos."

The two genii were almost finished,
but there were difficulties with the
girl's head. Svirski understood that she
must not only be beautiful but full
of individuality. There were plenty of
pretty models, but they did not possess
enough personality. It is true that
the woman from whom he rented his
studio promised to find him a good
model ; but she was very slow. A
new model had promised to come that
morning, but had not yet put in an
appearance, although it was already
half -past eleven.

These things, with last night's matri-
monial proposition, caused Svirski to
be greatly disturbed, not only about his
peace of mind, but also about his
artistic future in general and about his
picture in particular. At that moment

70 IN MONTE CARLO

Hypnos appeared to him heavy, Than-
atos stupid. At last he said to himself
that, as long as he was unable to set
to work, it would be better to go to
the shore, where the view of the water
and the sun would brighten his feelings
and his outlook on the world.

But just at that moment, as he was
ready to go out, the bell was heard
in the antechamber ; then two Scotch
tartans, twro bangs, and the two bird-
like heads of Romulus and Remus
appeared in the studio. Kresovich,
paler and gloomier than ever, followed
them.

" Good-morning, sir ! Good-morning,
sir ! " shouted both boys. " Maman sent
you these roses and begs you to come
to luncheon/'

Then they began to walk round and
inspect the studio. They were very
much surprised at the nude sketches ;
they stopped before them and elbowed
each other.

IN MONTE CARLO jr.

" Tiens I "

" Regarde ! "

It made Svirski angry, and he said,,
looking at his watch :

" We must be going if we wish to
be in time for luncheon."

He took his hat, and they went out,
As there were no carriages near the
studio they walked ; the artist asked
Kresovich :

" Well, how are your pupils ? '

Kresovich turned to him, his ironical
face full of hatred, and answered :

" My pupils ? The}^ are all right.
They are as healthy as fish ; they look
well in their Scotch dresses, but I don't
care much about them."

" Why ? "

" Because I am going to leave to-
morrow."

" What is the matter ? " asked Svirski,
with some astonishment. " I did not
know. It's a pity."

" Not for them." answered Kresovich.

72 IN MONTE CARLO

" It must be because they cannot
understand you."

" They never will be able to under-
stand— neither to-day nor any other
time ! — never ! "

r< I hope time will prove that you
are mistaken/' answered Svirski, dryly.
" At any rate, I am sorry to hear it."

But the student went on „ about
himself.

" Yes, it's a pity ; but it's a pity to
waste time. They don't need me and
I don't need them. They will be such
as they will be. The person who
wishes to sow wheat must plough the
soil, and the poorer it is the easier to
plough it. One could say much about
it ; but it's not worth while, especially
for me. Microbes will eat me up just
the same."

" You were never threatened with
consumption ? Mrs. Elzen asked a
doctor about your health, and he
assured her that there was no danger."

IN MONTE CARLO 73

"To be sure, there is no danger ;
besides, I discovered a sure remedy
against microbes."

" What remedy have you discovered ? "

" It will be published in the papers.
One does not hide such discoveries under
a bushel."

Svirski looked at Kresovich as if
to ascertain whether he had a fever ;
but at that moment they arrived at
the station, which was swarming with
people.

The Nicean guests were going as
usual, in the morning, to Monte Carlo.
While Svirski was purchasing the
tickets, Viadrovski perceived him and
approached.

" Good - morning ! " said he. "To
Monte Carlo ? "

" Yes. Have you your ticket al-
ready ? "

" I have a season ticket. We shall
be crowded in the train. It's a regular
exodus, isn't it ? And everybody carries

74 IN MONTE CARLO

the widow's mite. Good-morning, Mr.
Kresovich. What do you say about life
here ? Make some remark from the
point of view of your party."

Kresovich began to blink his eyes as
if he could not understand what they
wanted of him ; then he said :

" I have joined the party of silent
people/'

:t I know, I know ! Splendid party !
The company is either silent or it ex-
plodes."

And he began to laugh.

The bell for departure had rung and
they were obliged to hasten. The
shouting, " En voiture ! En voiture ! ''
was deafening. In a moment Svirski,
Kresovich, Viadrovski, and the two
boys were in the train.

" Look ! " said Viadrovski. " We
can't even dream about a seat. A true
immigration."

In fact, there was a large crowd of
every nationality — Poles, Russians,

IN MONTE CARLO 75

Englishmen, Frenchmen, Germans — all
were going to conquer the bank which
every day repulsed and broke the crowds,
as a rock breaks the waves of the sea.
There were numerous women over-
scented with heliotrope. The sun lighted
the artificial flowers on their hats, velvet,
lace, artificial or real jewels, objects
shining like polished armour on round
bosoms, blackened eyebrows, faces cov-
ered with powder and animated with
the hope of enjoyment and gambling.
The most experienced eye was unable to
distinguish the woman with a past from
the society woman. The men, with
violets in their buttonholes, looked at
those women inquisitively and imper-
tinently, inspecting their dresses, shoul-
ders, faces and hips with blood as cold
as if they were estimating the bargains
for sale in shop windows. Haste and
disorder were in the crowd. At certain
moments the train rushed into the dark-
ness of a tunnel ; then again the sun-

76 IN MONTE CARLO

light, the sky, the sea, the palms, the
olive trees, the villas were reflected
through the windows, and a moment
after the darkness again covered every-
thing. The stations passed rapidly one
after another. New crowds of people
squeezed into the train. They were all
elegantly dressed, as though going to
some great and joyful festival.

" What a true picture of life ! " said
Viadrovski.

" What is a true picture ? "

" The train — I could philosophise
about it until luncheon, but as I prefer
to philosophise after eating, perhaps you
will be willing to eat with me/'

" No," said Svirski, " you must excuse
me ; I am invited by Mrs. Elzen."

" In that case I retreat ! "

And he began to laugh. The thought
that Svirski might marry Mrs. Elzen did
not enter his mind for a moment. He
was sure that the painter only cared
for her as others did, but being a great

IN MONTE CARLO 77

admirer of artists in general and Svirski
in particular, he was pleased that he was
ahead of his competitors in her favour.

" I represent wealth/' he was think-
ing, " Porecki title, the boy Kladzki
youth, and De Sinten the world of
fashionable, stupid fellows. All that,
especially here, carries a great weight,
and this woman has chosen him. At
any rate, she has fine taste/'

And, looking at the painter, he began
to mutter :

"Jo triumphe, tu moraris aureos ctirrus."

" What do you say ? " asked Svirski,
who did not hear well on account of the
noise of the train.

" Nothing. Some hiccoughs from
Horatius. I say, as you refuse, I will
give a consolation luncheon to myself,
De Sinten, Porecki and Kladzki/7

" May 1 ask you for what you wish to
be consoled ? " asked Svirski, approach-
ing swiftly and looking into his eyes
almost threateningly.

78 IN MONTE CARLO

" For the loss of your company/' coolly
answered Viadrovski. " Pray what did
you suppose, my dear sir ? "

Svirski bit his lip and said nothing.
But he thought of the saying, " People
conscious of guilt are always afraid of
being detected/' For if he were going
to marry an honest girl he would never
suppose that anyone speaking ironically
could be thinking about her.

When they arrived, Mrs. Elzen, fresh,
young and beautiful, was waiting at the
station. She had evidently just come,
for she breathed deeply, and her face
wTas flushed with emotion. Therefore,
when she stretched both her hands to
Svirski, Viadrovski thought :

" Yes ! he has beaten us all. She
appears to be really in love." And he
looked upon her almost with sympathy.
In her white flannel dress, with shining
eyes, she seemed to him, notwithstanding
some powder on her face, as young and
charming as ever. For a while he re-

IN MONTE CARLO 79

gretted he was not the happy mortal
she came to greet ; and he thought
that the method by which he had tried to
gain her favour — which chiefly consisted
in telling her hard things — was foolish.
But he consoled himself with the reflec-
tion that he could laugh at De Sin ten
and the others wiio were beaten.

After the greeting, Svirski thanked her
for the roses, but she was listening with
some embarrassment, looking from time
to time at Viadrovski, as if she were
ashamed of his hearing the thanks.

Viadrovski understood that it would
be best for him to leave them. How-
ever, they went together in the lift to
the heights on which the gambling-house
and the gardens are situated. On the
way Mrs. Elzen entirely regained her
self-possession.

" Let us have luncheon ! Let us have
luncheon ! " she said joyfully. " I have
an appetite like a whale/'

Viadrovski muttered that he would

80 IN MONTE CARLO

like to be Jonah, but he did not say so
aloud, thinking that Svirski might seize
him by the collar of his coat and throw
him from the lift, as such a joke would
deserve condign punishment.

In the garden he took leave of them
and departed ; but looking back, he
perceived Mrs. Elzen leaning on Svirski's
arm and whispering something to him.

" They are speaking about dessert/'
thought he.

But he was mistaken, because she,
turning her charming face towards the
painter, whispered :

11 Does Viadrovski know ? "

" No/' answered Svirski ; "I only
met him in the train/'

Having said this, he could not help
wishing Mrs. Elzen wrere not so eager
to speak of their betrothal, and it flashed
upon him that it would be necessary to
tell everybody about their engagement ;
in the meanwhile her beauty and charms
began to make him courageous.

IN MONTE CARLO 81

They had luncheon together with
Romulus, Remus and Kresovich, who,
during the whole time, did not say a
word. After coffee, Mrs. Elzen gave
the boys permission to go with the young
man in the direction of Rocca Brune,
and then, turning to Svirski, she asked :

" Do you prefer to take a walk, or
a ride ? "

" If you are not tired I prefer to walk/'
he answered.

" Very well. I am not tired at all.
But where shall we go ? Would you
like to look at the pigeon-shooting ? "

" Willingly. But there we shall not be-
alone. I am sure De Sinten and young;
Kladzki are practising after lunch."

' Yes ; but they will not bother us.-
When there is a question of pigeons*
they become blind and deaf to every-
thing around them. Besides, let themi
see me with my great man."

And inclining her head she looked into
his eyes, smiling.

82 IN MONTE CARLO

" But perhaps the great man does not
wish it ? "

" On the contrary, let them see us,"
answered Svirski, raising her hand to
his lips.

" Let us go, then."

* Very well."

And in a moment they were on the
large stairs leading to the Shooting
Club.

" How light it is here, and how happy
I am," said Mrs. Elzen.

Then, although there was nobody there,
she asked him in a whisper :

" And you ? "

" My light is with me ! " answered he,
pressing her arm to his breast.

And they began to descend. Truly
the day seemed to be brighter than
ever ; the air was golden and blue, the
sea, in the distance, looked like lapis
lazuli.

11 Let us stop here," said Mrs. Elzen.
" We can see the cages from here."

IN MONTE CARLO 83

From under their feet stretched a large
green lawn, running out towards the sea.
The cages with the pigeons were disposed
upon it in a half -circle. Each moment
one of them opened suddenly, the
frightened bird flew out, then the shot
resounded and the pigeon fell either on
the grass or into the sea, where fishermen
were expectantly waiting in small boats
for the prey.

It sometimes happened, however, that
the pigeon was missed ; then it flew
towards the sea, and, making a circle,
returned, seeking shelter on the roof
of the Casino.

" We cannot see who shoots from
here," said Mrs. Elzen, mirthfully.
" Let us tell our fortune ; if the first
pigeon falls down we remain in Monte
Carlo, if it flies away we will go to
Italy."

" So be it," said Svirski. " There it
is! "

In fact, the cage was opened, and at

84 IN MONTE CARLO

that moment the pigeon, as if stunned,
remained on the spot. They forced the
bird to fly by rolling a ball on the grass,
and then the shot was heard. But the
bird did not fall immediately. First he
rose high in the air, then he flew direct
for the sea, coming down gradually, as if
wounded ; finally he disappeared in the
blaze of the sun.

" Maybe he fell down, maybe not.
The future is uncertain/' said Svirski,
with a laugh.

But Mrs. Elzen pouted like an angry
child.

" It's that horrid De Sinten," she said.
" I bet it was he. Let us go down/'

And they descended nearer and nearer
to the shooting - gallery. Mrs. Elzen
stopped at every shot. In her white
dress, on the background of green, she
looked like a statue.

" There is no other material that makes
so pretty a drapery as flannel/7 said
Svirski.

IN MONTE CARLO 85

" Ah, you artists/' answered the young
woman.

And in her voice there was some
anger, for she felt offended that at that
moment Svirski should be thinking about
draperies and fabrics instead of her.

" Let us be going/'

A few moments later they were in the
shooting-gallery. De Sinten was the
only one there whom they knew. He
was shooting with some Hungarian count.
Both were dressed in browii English coats,
with caps of the same colour, Scotch
stockings — both very distingues, with
faces as expressive as those of jackasses.
But it was as Mrs. Elzen said : De Sinten
was so busy shooting that he did not
notice them at first, and only after a long
wait did he come forward to greet them.

" How is your luck ? " asked the lady.

" I shall beat ! I am sure to win ! "
Here he turned to Svirski. " Don't you
shoot ? "

" I do ; but not to-day."

86 IN MONTE CARLO

" As for me," answered De Sin ten,
looking significantly at Mrs. Elzen, " I
am to-day heureux au jeu ! '

They called him to the shooting.

" He wanted to say that he was un-
naPP37 m love/' said Svirski.

" Imbecile ! Could it be otherwise ? '

But, notwithstanding her words, one
could see by the face of the beautiful
lady that she was not offended, that
she liked to witness such a testimony to
her charms.

It was not the last evidence that day.

" I wished to ask you about some-
thing/' said Svirski, after a short silence ;
" but I could not do it in the presence of
the children and Kresovich, who told me
he was going to leave. Is it true ? '

" It is true/' answered Mrs. Elzen.
" In the first place, I am not sure of his
health. A few days ago I made him
go and see a doctor, who informed me
that he was not threatened with con-
sumption ; otherwise I would not keep

IN MONTE CARLO 87

him an hour. But at any rate he looks
worse every day ; he is whimsical,
irritable, often unbearable. That's the
first reason. Then you know his
tendencies, although I am sure they
will not stick to Romulus and Remus.
I bring up the boys in such a way that
they would not care for the ideas of the
red party. But I don't wish them even
to know that such principles exist — that
they could ever meet with such hatred to-
wards the class of people among, whom
they live. It was sufficient for me that
you wished them to speak with some-
body in their own language. It was al-
most a command for me. Of course
they ought to know their own language.
Now people are insisting upon it, and I
agree they are right. But even on that
question Kresovich is too self-opinion-
ated."

" I shall miss him ! He has certain
wrinkles around the eyes which signify
fanaticism ; he has a most interesting

88 IN MONTE CARLO

face, although he is a very peculiar
man."

' The painter is talking through you
again/' said Mrs. Elzen, laughing.

But after a while she became more
sober and even somewhat embarrassed.

1 I have one reason more/' she said.
rc It's unpleasant to speak about, but I
must tell you, because with whom should
I be sincere if not with my — great
man, who is so dear and good, who is
able to be indulgent in everything ?
Well, then, I noticed that Kresovich
had lost his head and fallen in love with
me, and under those circumstances he
could not remain near me/'

" What ? This one also ? " exclaimed
Svirski.

' Yes," answered she, lowering her

And she tried to pretend that this
confession was unpleasant to her, but
all the same, as at De Sinten's words, a
smile of satisfied self-love and womanly

IN MONTE CARLO 89

vanity passed over her face. Svirski
noticed it, and an unpleasant, ugly
feeling filled his heart.

" Then I am also struck by the
epidemic/' he said.

She looked at him for a while, and
then said quietly :

" Was that said by a jealous or an
ungrateful man ? '

But the painter answered evasively :

" You are right. Kresovich ought to
leave."

" I will pay him to-day/'

Then they were silent. The Baron de
Sin ten and the Hungarian count's shoot-
ing was heard.

Svirski, however, could not pardon the
smile he had noticed. " It is true/' he
said to himself, " that Mrs. Elzen acted
wisely towards Kresovich, and there
is no reason to be irritated " ; but
he was irritated all the same. Some
time ago, at the beginning of their
acquaintance, he had seen her riding

go IN MONTE CARLO

on horseback ; she was leading, followed
by De Sinten, Kladzki, Porecki, Wilkis-
bey and Waxford. This cavalcade made
a very bad impression on Svirski, an
impression of a kind of a beastly run of
males after a female. The same picture
now stood in his memory, and his im-
pressionable, artistic nature Suffered con-
siderably. " Speaking truthfully/' he said
to himself, ''everybody runs after her, and
if I were to fall over some obstacle she
would be reached by the next one ! '

Mrs. Elzen interrupted these reflections.
She complained that she was cold stand-
ing in the shade, and said she wished to
warm herself in the sun.

" Let us go to the hotel — you can get
your jacket/' said he.

They started to return to the upper
terrace, but when half-way up the stairs
she stopped suddenly.

" You are not satisfied with me,"
said she. " Of what am I guilty ? What
have I done to annoy you ? "

IN MONTE CARLO 91

Svirski had become quieter while walk-
ing, and answered :

" You must excuse an old crank. I
beg your pardon/'

Mrs. Elzen wanted to know why he
was sad, but she could not make him
talk. Then, half seriously and half
jokingly, she began to complain about
artists. What strange and unbearable
people they are ! Shocked by any trifle,
they shut their impressions within them-
selves, and then escape to their solitary
studios. To-day she had noticed the
painter in him three times. That was
bad ! Therefore, for a punishment, this
unbearable painter must stay with her
until the evening to dinner.

But Svirski said he must return to
Nice ; then he spoke to her of his troubles
as an artist — about his difficulties in
finding a model for " Dream and Death/'
and his hope that this picture would
bring him success.

" I see/' answered the young widow,

92 IN MONTE CARLO

smiling, " that I shall always have a
frightful rival in art/'

" It's not the rival/' answered Svirski.
" It's God, whom you will serve with me."

The pretty lady frowned at last, but
meanwhile they had arrived at the hotel.

That day Svirski went half-way to
paradise, and left his pretty widow with
thrills of delight in his bones, but with
the conviction that only matrimony
would open the gate. His brain having
cooled, he was grateful to Mrs. Elzen
that she had inspired him with such a
conviction.

CHAPTER IV

THE RULING PASSION

MRS. ELZEN, before she began to dress
for dinner, called Kresovich, in order to
pay him, which she did with a certain
interest, anxious to know how he would
bid her good-bye. She had seen so many
commonplace people, who appeared as if
cut out by the same tailor to the same
measure, that this odd young fellow
excited her curiosity ; and now, when he
was about to leave her with a bleeding
heart, he interested her a great deal more.
She was sure that his passion would be
shown in some way, and she even wished
for it, promising to herself — not very
sincerely, however, to stop it with a look
or word if he should overstep certain
bounds.

But Kresovich, when he entered her
93

94 IN MONTE CARLO

room, was cold and threatening ; he
certainly had not the appearance of a
person enamoured. Mrs. Elzen, glancing
at him, thought that Svirski, being an
artist, was right in having noticed his
head, which really had something ex-
ceptional in its form. The lines were
iron-like, showing the will to be stronger
than the intelligence, giving to the profile
a certain degree of stubborn expression.
Svirski had noticed for a long time that
he was one of those men who, if they
seize an idea, will never be disturbed
by scepticism, and never a doubt will
shake their ability for action, because
a certain narrowness of mind always
goes with a stubborn and strong char-
acter. Fanaticism flourishes in such a
field. Mrs. Elzen, notwithstanding her
cleverness, was too superficial to recog-
nise that truth. Kresovich would have
attracted her attention if he had been an
exceptionally good-looking man, but as
he was not, she had treated him in the

IN MONTE CARLO 95

beginning like an ordinary object, until
Svirski had taught her to regard him
differently. Just now she received him
kindly and, having paid him, said, with
a cold and indifferent voice, but well-
chosen words, that she was very sorry
that she would be obliged to dismiss
him as she was leaving Monte Carlo.

Kresovich mechanically put the money
into his pocket, and answered :

" I told you myself yesterday that I
did not wish to teach Romulus and
Remus any longer/'

" Exactly — it comforts me ! " she said,
raising her head.

Evidently she wished, at least in the
beginning, the conversation to remain
ceremonious, and obliged Kresovich to
speak in the same manner. But to
look at him one could see that he was
determined to speak frankly.

' You have paid me with good money/'
said he ; " you mustn't now give me any
counterfeit."

96 IN MONTE CARLO

" What do you mean ? "

" I mean this/' he said vehemently ;
" that you neither dismiss me on account
of your departure, nor do I quit you for
that reason. The cause is quite different,
and you know it as well as I do/'

" If I know it, it's probable I don't
wish either to hear or to talk about
it," said she, haughtily.

He advanced a step towards her,
holding up a threatening hand.

" But you must hear it ! ' he said,
emphatically. "In the first place, for
this reason : in a moment I shall be gone
away ; then, on account of the other
reason, about which you will learn to-

morrow."

Mrs. Elzen rose from her chair, and,
with frowning e}^ebrows and in the
theatrical pose of an offended queen, she
said :

" What do you mean ? "

He approached nearer to her, until
his face was only a few inches from

IN MONTE CARLO 97

hers, and began to talk with concen-
trated energy.

" It means that I ought to have hated
you and the people with whom you
associate, but I fell in love with you. It
means that for you I committed a crime
against my conscience, for which I shall
punish myself. But precisely for this
reason I have nothing to lose, and you
must pay me for my wrong, otherwise
something dreadful will happen/'

Mrs. Elzen was not frightened ; she
did not fear men at all. She was as-
tonished, and at once uttered an
exclamation of amazement.

" But he is a fine bird of prey, who
may tear me into pieces ! ' For any
woman, familiar with corruption, an
adventure especially flattering to her
womanly selfishness had a great charm.
For all that, her moral sense was not
afraid of trifling. Had Kresovich be-
seeched her for one minute of happiness,
for permission to kiss the edge of her

G

98 IN MONTE CARLO

dress ; with humility, with tears and on
his knees, she would have ordered him
to be thrown out. But this threatening
and crazy man, who represented a sect
about whose fearful energy they told
dreadful stories in society, appeared to
her demon-like — so different from other
people, something so out of the ordinary,
that she was simply in an ecstasy of
delight. Her nerves were longing for
something new. She thought if she
resisted, the adventure might assume
unforeseen dimensions and turn into a
scandal, for the crazy man was evidently
ready for anything.

Kresovich spoke further, breathing his
warm respiration in her face.

" I love, and I have nothing to lose !
I have lost my health and my future,
and I committed a base action ! I have
nothing to lose ! Do you understand ?
I don't care if ten or a hundred people
rush here, should you give the alarm.
But you won't do it. After that I will

IN MONTE CARLO 99

go away and the secret will never be
revealed — I swear ! '

Mrs. Elzen cared only to save appear-
ances, which, with womanly hypocrisy,
she tried to preserve — in order to deceive
herself.

Therefore, turning towards him her
eyes full of artificial light, she asked :

" Do you wish to kill me ? '

" I want to be paid, but not with
money ! " he answered in a choked voice.

Then he became paler ; he seized her
and hugged her. She defended herself,
but she did it like a fainting w^oman,
from whom fright has taken all con-
sciousness and strength.

CHAPTER V

A NIGHT OF SPECULATION

WHEN Svirski arrived at Villa Franca
he alighted from the carriage and went
to the harbour, because the idea came
to him to return to Nice by boat. He
found a fisherman with whom he was
acquainted and who, being pleased to
see a liberal customer again, agreed,
with Ligurian boastfulness, to go with
him " even to Corsica, though the
sirocco should turn the bottom of the
sea upwards/'

This time it wras only the question
of a small trip, rendered quite easy
because there was not the slightest
wind. Svirski sat at the helm and
they began to glide over the polished
deep. After a while, having passed the
luxurious private yachts, they approached
100

IN MONTE CARLO 101

the ironclads, whose quiet, enormous
black bodies were outlined harshly and
prominently in the southern sun. The
deck of the Formidable was already
decorated with multi-coloured lanterns
for the morrow's ball, to which Svirski
was invited. The sailors on board
the monster looked like pigmies com-
pared to the dimensions of the vessel.
The iron sides of the man-of-war, the
smokestacks, and masts, were all reflected
in the transparent waters as in a mirror.
From time to time a military boat,
looking like a black worm moving its
feet regularly, passed among the iron-
clads. Beyond the vessels was an
empty space, where the boat in which
Svirski sat rose and fell with a broad
and gentle movement. They approached
the high rocks to the right of the wharf,
along which ran a grey, dusty road ;
further on was the parade ground,
where the soldiers drilled and practised
military manoeuvres. Finally, having

102 IN MONTE CARLO

passed the cliff, around which the large
sea waves splashed, they emerged on to
the open water.

There is always a breeze outside a
seaport ; therefore the fisherman began
to spread the sail, and Svirski, instead
of directing the boat towards Nice,
turned its head towards the sea. And
as they proceeded straight forward,
balanced by the waves, the sun went
down. The rocks and the sea turned
crimson. Everything around was tran-
quil, quiet, and so gigantic that the
thought came to Svirski — How small
and paltry was life compared with the
infinity which surrounded him at that
moment ! He felt as if he had left all
his own and other people's affairs ; and
had gone far, far away. Mrs. Elzen,
Romulus, Remus, all his friends and
the people swarming on the shore, full
of life, uneasiness, mean ambition and
low passions, became smaller to him.
And being a man accustomed to analyse

IN MONTE CARLO 103

his thoughts and impressions, he was
afraid that, if he were really in love
with Mrs. Elzen, her image would not
have been thus veiled, disturbed, and
diminished, would certainly never have
disappeared. Svirski recollected how
once, after the wedding to another of
a woman with whom he was in love,
he had left his country. For the first
time then he saw Rome, Sicily, the sea,
the shores of Africa, and none of those
impressions could erase the image of the
beloved woman. In the galleries, on
the sea, and in the desert she was with
him, and he felt everything through her,
and everywhere he spoke to her as if
she were present. The difference be-
tween those former years and to-day
made him sad.

But the quietude of the evening and
of the sea pacified him. They went so
far that the coast began to disappear.
Then the sun set, and the stars began
to shine one after another. The

104 IN MONTE CARLO

dolphins, which like to swim around
a boat in the twilight, broke the
surface of the deep with their sharp
backs, and disappeared, and everything
was quiet. The surface of the water
became smooth, and the sail hung flat.
Finally the moon appeared from behind
the mountains and bathed the sea with
a greenish light as far as the limits of
the horizon. A quiet, fair, southern
night began.

Svirski wrapped himself in the fisher-
man's pelerine and began to think.
" Everything that surrounds me is not
only beautiful, but true also. Human
life, if it is to be normal, must be
grafted on the trunk of Nature, must
grow from it as a branch grows from
the tree and exists on the strength of
the same laws. Then it will be true
and moral, because, in fact, morality is
nothing else than the harmony of life
with the general laws of Nature. Here
I am surrounded by simplicity and

IN MONTE CARLO 105

quietude ; I understand it only as an
artist, for I am neither quiet nor simple
in myself as a man, because my life as
well as the life of those people among
whom I live, is far from Nature ; it
ceases to be governed by its laws, and
has become a lie. Everything in us is
artificial. We have lost even the senti-
ment of natural laws. Our relations are
based on falsehood ; we have crooked
minds, sick souls and morbid passions.
We deceive each other and ourselves,
and finally no one is sure whether he
really wishes that which he wants, or
whether he is able to do that which he
wishes/'

And at once, in the presence of the
contrast of that night, of the infinity of
the sea, of the stars, of the whole of
Nature, of its peacefulness, simplicity and
might, he realised the gigantic lie of all
feeling in everyday relationships. This
love for Mrs. Elzen appeared to him to be
a lie, her relations to him a lie, to the

io6 IN MONTE CARLO

children, to other men, to the world ;
this life on the sunny shore, the present,
and his own future a lie, all a lie.

" It envelops me like a net/' he
thought, " and I don't know how to
escape from it ! ' And, in fact, it was
true ; for if life is wholly a lie, then what
shall one do ? Return to Nature ?
Begin some kind of wild, half-peasant
life ? Break with people and turn re-
former ? Svirski felt that he was too
old and too sceptical for that. For
that it would be necessary to have
Kresovich's dogmatism, so that a strong
feeling of evil should stimulate him to
reform, and give him strength for the
fight. This mere impression, he knew,
would die away again in the morning.

Then another thought came to Svirski.
One who does not feel strong enough to
reform the world, can escape from it for
a certain time, and rest. To-morrow he
might be in Marseilles, and a couple of
days later somewhere else — perhaps on

IN MONTE CARLO 107

the ocean, hundreds of miles from the
shore, from sickly life, from its lies and
humbug. In that way everything would
be disentangled, or rather cut as with a
knife.

And at one moment he became so eager
to turn this thought into a deed, that
he ordered the boatman to return to
Nice.

" An animal seeing he is in a net/'
thought he, " before all tries to disen-
tangle himself. It's the first law, and it
is in harmony with Nature, therefore it
is moral. Mrs. Elzen alone is not my
net. It is everything taken together.
But at the same time I feel that if I
marry her I should espouse the life of a
lie. Even, perhaps, it would not be her
fault, but the necessity of things, and it
is always permitted to escape from such
situations."

Here he began to imagine other states
which he was going to meet in his flight
— vast expanses of water and sand, un-

io8 IN MONTE CARLO

known countries and peoples, the sincerity
and truth of their primitive life, and
finally the variety of incidents and the
great difference between the future and
present days.

" I deserved it a long time ago," he
said to himself.

Then another thought came to his mind
— a thought which may occur only to an
artist — that when one " gives his fiancee
the cold shake " and goes, for instance,
to Paris, such a deed constitutes suitable
groundwork for " bad literature/' but if
one escapes somewhere as far as the
equator, where the pepper grows, the
fact of escaping becomes smaller com-
pared with the great distance — the act
creates a different impression, looks more
original, and is more fashionable.

"And I shall go/' he thought,
" deucedly far ! "

In the meanwhile, Nice appeared to
him in the form of a string of lights. In
the middle of this string, the building

IN MONTE CARLO 109

called " Jetee-Promenade " shone like a
gigantic lantern. Gradually, as the boat,
propelled by the strong wind, approached
the wharf, each of those lights changed
into a fiery pillar shivering on the moving
line of the shore. The sight of those
lights made Svirski sober.

" The city !— and the life ! " thought
he. And at once all his previous projects
began to disappear like nightmares born
of the emptiness and the night. That
which a while ago he considered right,
easy and necessary to be executed ;
seemed to him now to be a fancy, bare of
common sense, and even dishonest. " No
matter what is life, one must be careful.
A man who has lived under its laws
so long as I have must feel obliged to re-
spect those laws. It is not difficult to
say to oneself, ' I used them as long as
they were useful to me, but the moment
I am bothered I return to Nature/ "

Then he began to think deeply, not
about general theories, but of Mrs. Elzen,

no IN MONTE CARLO

" By what right should I leave her ?
If her life is artificial and false, if her
past is not clear, I knew about it and
was not obliged to marry her. Now, I
should only be justified in breaking with
her if I had discovered some evil which
she had concealed from me, or if in
some way she were guilty toward me.
But she is not guilty at all. She has been
honest and sincere with me. At any
rate, there is something in her which
attracts me, otherwise I should not
have proposed. There are moments
when I feel that I am in love with her,
and if sometimes doubts arise, why
should she suffer for it ? My flight would
at least wrong her."

He understood that for a decent man
to think about flight, and to accomplish
it, were two opposite extremes. He
could only dream about it . Rather would
he ask Mrs. Elzen to give him back his
word. But to escape the danger — it
would be a thing unworthy of his per-

IN MONTE CARLO in

sonal character, and his thoroughly
civilised race. Finally, the thought that
he would wrong Mrs. Elzen filled him
with sorrow, and she became dearer
to him.

They reached the wharf, and in a few
minutes landed. He paid the fisherman,
took a cab, and ordered the coachman to
drive him to his studio. In the street,
amid the noise, he was again seized by
a longing for solitude, for that infinity
of the waters, for that tranquillity and
that great God's truth from which he had
departed a while before ; and when near-
ing the studio the following notion came
to his mind.

" It is strange," he thought, " that I,
who was so much afraid of women, and
was distrustful of them, should finally
select a woman who is able to arouse
more troublesome impressions than all
the rest put together/'

Some kind of fatalism was in the whole
affair, and without doubt Svirski would

ii2 IN MONTE CARLO

have found in that coincidence abundant
material for reflection during the whole
evening, had not the servant handed
him two letters just as he entered the
house. One contained an invitation to
the ball on the Formidable ; the other
was from his landlady. She was going
to Marseilles for a couple of days, and
had found a model who ought to satisfy
the most exquisite taste. The girl was
coming on the morrow.

CHAPTER VI

A NEW MODEL

IN fact, the announced God's masterpiece
came the next day at nine o'clock.
Svirski was already dressed, waiting
impatiently, and full of uneasiness. Hap-
pily, his fears proved to be vain ; the
first glance satisfied him. The young
girl was tall, very graceful, with a small
head, delicate face, beautiful hair, long
eyelashes, and a very fresh complexion.
But Svirski was principally pleased that
she had " her own face " and a great
charm of expression. " She has noble
movements/' thought he, " and if she
is as well formed as she looks, then—
Eureka ! "

He was also impressed by her timidity.
It is true he knew that models sometimes
imitate modesty, but he did not believe
she could be affected.

113 H

n4 IN MONTE CARLO

" What is thy name, my good girl ? "

" Maria Cervi."

" Art thou from Nice ? "

" Yes, from Nice/'

" Hast thou posed before ? '

"No, sir."

" Experienced models know what is re-
quired of them ; there is a great bother
with fresh ones. Thou hast never posed
in thy life ? "

"No, sir."

" How didst thou get the idea of
becoming a model ? '

The girl hesitated for a moment and
blushed.

" Madame Legrand told me that I
should be able to earn some money that
way."

" Yes, but thou art afraid. Why art
thou afraid ? I am not going to eat
thee up ! How much dost thou ask
for a sitting ? '

" Madame Legrand told me that you
pay five francs."

IN MONTE CARLO 115

" Madame Legrand was mistaken. I
pay ten francs/'

The girl's face lighted up with joy,
and she blushed still more.

" When shall I begin ? " she asked
with trembling voice.

" To-day — immediately ! " said Svirski,
pointing to the unfinished picture.
" There is the screen ; go and undress !
Only to the waist. Thou wilt pose for
the head, for the breast and part of
the hips.

She turned her astonished face toward
him, and her hands dropped slowly to
her side.

u What do you mean, sir ? ' asked
>he, timidly, looking at him with
frightened eyes.

He answered a little bit impatiently :

" My dear girl, I understand that
the first time it may be hard. But one
is either a model or not. I need a
head, a bust, and a part of the hips
very badly — you understand ? Then

n6 IN MONTE CARLO

them must know that there is nothing bad,
and, before all, thou must think it over,
and be quick, because if thou dost not
wish to pose I shall be obliged to find
someone else/'

He spoke thus a little bit uneasily,
because he wished her to stay, and if
she did not he would be obliged to
search for another. In the meantime
there was a silence. The model became
very pale, but after a while she went
quietly behind the screen.

Svirski began to move the easels
toward the window and place them
properly, thinking, as he did so :

" She will get used to it, and in a
week will laugh at her scruples/'

Then he placed a sofa, on which the
model was to lie down, picked up his
brushes and became impatient.

" Well, art thou ready ? "

Silence.

" Answer ! What a joke ! "

From behind the screen was heard

IN MONTE CARLO 117

a voice that vibrated with entreaty.

" Sir, I thought — there is great misery
in our house, but that way — I — can't !
If you would be so kind as to let me
pose only for my head — even for three
francs, even for two — if you would be
so kind."

And the words changed into sobbing.

Svirski turned towards the screen,
dropped his brushes and opened his
mouth. He was astonished, for the
model spoke in his own language.

" So you are a Polish girl ? " said he,
finally ; and he forgot that by accident
he had used " thou " in speaking to
her.

" Yes, sir ! It is — my father wras an
Italian, but my grandfather was a
Pole."

There was silence again. Svirski
regained his self-possession and said :

" Dress yourself again. You shall pose
only for the head."

But evidently she had not even begun

n8 IN MONTE CARLO

to undress, for she came from behind
the screen immediately, bashful and
confused, full of fright, and with traces
of tears on her cheeks.

" Thank you, sir/' she said. " You
are — you must excuse me, but—

" Be quiet/' interrupted Svirski.
" Here is a chair ! be quiet. You will
pose for the head. To the deuce ! I
did not wish to insult you. Do you
see this picture ? I needed a model to
paint this figure. But if you can't stand
it, that's different, especially as you
are a countrywoman."

The tears began to flow again, but
her blue eyes looked at him with grati-
tude. He found a bottle of wine, poured
some into a glass, and handing it to her,
said :

" You must drink. I have some
crackers somewhere, but the deuce
knows where they are. Pray be quiet."

Speaking thus, he looked at her with
honest sympathy.

IN MONTE CARLO 119

" Poor child ! " said he.

Then he put the easel in its former
place, sa}dng :

" You can't pose to-day ; you are too
excited. We will begin to-morrow. Let
us talk to-day. Who could suppose
Maria Cervi to be a Polish lady ? You
said your grandfather was a Pole. Is
he living ? *'

" He is living, but for two years he
has been unable to walk/'

" What is his name ? "

" Orysiewich," answered she, pro-
nouncing it with a foreign accent.

" I know the name. HOWT long is it
since he left the country ? '

" Grandpa has not been in Poland
for sixty- five years. He served in the
Italian army, then in a bank in Nice/'

" How old is he ? "

" Grandpa is ninety/'

' Your father's name was Cervi ? '

" Yes. Papa came from Nice, but he
also served in the Italian army."

120 IN MONTE CARLO

" How long is it since he died ? "

' Five years ago/'

" Is your mother living ? "

' My mother is living. We live to-
gether in Old Nice/'

"That's right/' said Svirski. "One
question more. Does your mother know
that you wished to become a model ? '

The girl answered with hesitation :

" No. Mother doesn't know it»
Madame Legrand told me that in that
way I could earn five francs a day, and
as we are poor — very poor — therefore
I was obliged."

With a quick glance Svirski took in
the girl from her feet to the top of
her head, and he knew she was speak-
ing the truth. Everything spoke of
poverty, from her hat and the old,
worn-out, faded dress, of which one
could see every thread of its texture,
to the gloves, which were much mended
and grown rusty.

" You had better go home now/'

IN MONTE CARLO 121

said he, " and tell your mother that
the painter Svirski wishes you to pose
for him for a head. Tell her also that
the painter will call at your house in
order to beg her to accompany you to
his studio when you come to pose, and
that he will pay you ten francs a day/'

Miss Cervi thanked him with tears
in her eyes. And he, noticing her con-
fusion, said :

" I shall be there within an hour
You seem to be an honest girl. You
must trust me. I am a little bit of a
bear, but I can understand many things.
Ah ! one thing ! I will not give you
money now, for you would be obliged
to explain how you got it, but I will
bring, and advance to you, what is
necessary. I have sometimes been hard
up myself, and I know what it means
to be helped quickly. Don't thank me !
Good-bye, child — in an hour ! '

And having asked her address, he
conducted her downstairs. An hour

122 IN MONTE CARLO

later he took a carriage and told the
coachman to drive him to Old Nice.
All that had happened seemed so
strange that he could think of nothing
else. In the meanwhile, he was satisfied,
as an honest man is satisfied when he has
acted as he should toward himself and
another who is deserving of kindness.

" If Miss Cervi is not a good and
honest girl/' he thought, " then I am
the biggest ass in the whole of Liguria."

But he did not admit that it was
possible. On the contrary, he was sure
that he had met a very honest, womanly
soul, and he was pleased that this soul
was placed in such a young and beautiful
body.

At last the carriage stopped before
an old and weather-beaten house. The
housekeeper contemptuously showed
Svirski to Mrs. Cervi 's apartments.

" A dwelling of misery ! " thought the
painter, mounting the dirty stairs. He
rapped at the door.

IN MONTE CARLO 123

" Come in ! " said a voice within.

Svirski entered. He was welcomed
by a woman about forty years of age,
dressed in black ; she was thin, sad,
evidently broken in health, but with
nothing vulgar in her manner. Beside
her stood Miss Cervi.

" I know all about it, and I thank
you from my heart and soul ! ' said
Mrs. Cervi. " May God reward and
bless you ! "

Speaking thus, she seized his hand
and bent her head as if she wished
to kiss it. But he withdrew it quickly,
and then, wishing to break the solemnity
of the moment, he turned to Miss
Cervi, and, threatening her with his
linger, said, with the freedom of an old
friend :

" Ah ! this young person told you
everything ! " Miss Cervi, instead of
answering, smiled at him, a little bit
sadly and with embarrassment. She
seemed to him more beautiful now than

124 IN MONTE CARLO

she had been in the studio. He noticed
also that she had around her neck a
pink ribbon, which she had not worn
before. He was flattered, as it was a
proof that she did not consider him an
old man, and had dressed to please
him.

In the meanwhile, Mrs. Cervi said,
" Yes, Maria told me everything. God
has watched over her and over us, and
He helped her to meet such a good
man as you are."

To this Svirski said :

" Miss Cervi spoke to me about the
poverty in which you are living, but
pray, believe me that it is a blessing,
even in hard circumstances, to have
such a daughter/'

" Yes," quietly answered Mrs. Cervi.

" As for me, I am glad to have met
you, because I was searching in vain.
Now I am easy about my picture.
Only I must assure myself about my
model."

IN MONTE CARLO 125

And speaking thus, he took three
hundred francs from his pocket-book
and begged Mrs. Cervi to accept it,
assuring her that he was doing a
splendid business, and, thanks to Miss
Cervi, he would get lots of money for
his picture. And then he expressed
a desire to meet " grandpa/' because he
was always fond of old soldiers.

Miss Cervi rushed into the second
room ; in a few moments the sound of
a chair on wheels was heard, and the
grandfather, whom they had dressed,
in honour of the guest, in a uniform
with all his military decorations received
in Italy, was drawn into the room.

Svirski then perceived the small and
wrinkled face of an old man, with snow-
white moustache and hair ; he had blue,
widely-opened eyes, resembling those of
a child.

" Grandpa/' said Miss Cervi, bending
down so that the old man could see
her lips, and speaking precisely, slowly

126 IN MONTE CARLO

and loudly, "it's Mr. Svirski, a country-
man, an artist/'

The old man turned his blue eyes to-
ward him, looked at him and repeated :

" Countryman ? Yes ! Countryman ! "

Then he smiled, looked at his
daughter and granddaughter, then again
at Svirski ; for a while he was searching
for words ; at last he asked, in an old
and trembling voice :

" And in the spring — what ? '

Evidently he had some thought in his
mind that he could not express. He
bent his trembling head on the arm-
chair, and looking at the window he
smiled, repeating :

" Yes, yes ! It will be ! "

"He is always that way ! " said Miss
Cervi.

Svirski looked at him with emotion,
and Mrs. Cervi began to talk about her
father and husband. Both were in the
war against Austria for the independ-
ence of Italy. They had lived in Florence

IN MONTE CARLO 127

for some time, and only returned to
Nice when Rome was taken. In Nice
the younger comrade had married
Orysiewich's daughter, and both got
positions in a bank. Everything went
smoothly till a few years ago Cervi
was killed in a railway accident and
Orysiewich lost his position on account
of old age. From that time their
hardships commenced, for their only
source of livelihood was a pension of
six hundred lires paid to the old man
by the Italian Government. It was
enough to preserve them from starva-
tion, but not enough to live upon. Both
women earned something by sewing and
teaching ; but in the summer, when
everything became quiet in Nice, and
one could not earn anything, their small
resources were soon exhausted. For
two years the old man had not walked ;
he was ill, and, being obliged to pay
the doctor and buy medicine, they grew
poorer and poorer.

128 IN MONTE CARLO

While listening, Svirski made two
mental observations. In the first place,
that Mrs. Cervi spoke Polish worse
than her daughter. Evidently the old
man, during the campaign, had not
devoted as much time to his daughter
as he did afterwards to his grand-
daughter. But the other idea was more
important to Svirski. He thought how
easy it would have been lor this beautiful
girl, had she been willing, to have ob-
tained plenty of gold, kept her carriage
and servants, living luxuriously in a
boudoir upholstered with satin. There
were always millionaires in Nice. But
she W7ore an old dress, and a faded
pink ribbon was her only luxury. There
must be some force which preserved her
from evil. " For this/' Svirski said to
himself, " two things are necessary — a
pure nature and an honest bringing-up.
There is no doubt that I have met both."

And he felt at ease among these
people. He noticed also that poverty

IN MONTE CARLO 129

had not rubbed out the traces of good
breeding and a certain refinement which
comes from within and seems to be
something natural. Both mother and
daughter received him as a providential
guest, but in their words and mien one
could still .notice that they felt greater
pleasure in meeting an honest man,
than one who had helped them.

It was possible that those three
hundred francs spared the family many
sorrows and humiliations ; but he felt
that both women were more grateful
to him because he had acted like a man
with a good and tender heart who had
understood the girl's grief, modesty and
sacrifice. But he was most pleased when
he noticed that in Miss Cervi's bash-
fulness, in her charming looks, there
was that embarrassment which a girl
only showrs in the presence of a man
towards whom she feels gratitude, and
who, according to Svirski's own ek-
pression, " is still in circulation." He

130 IN MONTE CARLO

was forty-five years old, and notwith-
standing a young heart, he had begun
to doubt himself ; therefore that pink
ribbon and his observation caused him
real pleasure. And he talked to them
with as much respect and attention as
if they were ladies of the best society,
and seeing this, they appreciated his
behaviour towards them. He shook
hands with them both, and when Miss
Cervi, with drooping eyes, gave him the
whole strength of her warm and young
hand, he became a little bit dizzy, and
his head was so filled with the pretty
model that the coachman was obliged
to ask him twice where he wished to go.
While in the carriage he thought that
it would not be proper to paint Miss
Cervi 's head on some other girl's body ;
and he tried to persuade himself that
it would be better to cover the bust of
the sleeping girl with a light drapery.

•"When I return I will call in some
model ; I will cover her and make such

IN MONTE CARLO 131

changes that to-morrow everything may
be ready/' said he to himself.

Then he thought that he would not be
able to hire Miss Cervi for ever, and he
was sorry for it.

The carriage stopped before the studio.
Svirski paid the driver and stepped out.

"There is a telegram for you, sir/'
said the housekeeper to him.

The painter awoke as from a dream.

" Ah ! " said he ; " very well, give it
to me."

And having taken the telegram from
the housekeeper, he opened it im-
patiently. But as he glanced at it,
astonishment and fright appeared on his
face, for he read as follows :

" Kresovich killed himself an hour
ago. Come. HELENE."

CHAPTER VII

MRS. ELZEN SHOWS HERSELF

WHEN Mrs. Elzen met Svirski, her face
looked confused and irritated, her eyes
were dry but red, as if she had been
crying, her manner was full of im-
patience.

" Have you received any letter ? " she
asked him hastily.

" No. I received only your telegram.
What a misfortune ! '

" I thought he had written to you."

"No. When did it happen ? "

" This morning. They heard a shot in
his room ; the servants rushed in and
found him dead."

" Here in the hotel ? "

"No. Happily he went yesterday to
Condamine."

" What is the cause of it ? "
132

IN MONTE CARLO 133

" How can I know ? " she answered
impatiently.

" Because, as far as I know, he did not
gamble."

" No. They found some money on
him/'

" Was it yesterday that you dismissed
him ? "

" Yes ; but he asked me to do so."

" Perhaps he took it too seriously."

" I don't know," she said feverishly-
" If he wanted to kill himself he ought to
have gone away. But he was a madman
— that explains everything ! Why did he
not go away ? '

Svirski looked at her attentively.

" Calm yourself," said he.

But she misunderstood him and said :

" Because it's very unpleasant for me,
and then there might be some trouble !
Who knows whether I may not be
obliged to go to the court as a witness ?
How can I know ? What a dreadful
thing ! And then there will be some

134 IN MONTE CARLO

gossip. First Viadrovski. I wanted to
ask you to say among your friends that
he gambled and had lost my money, and
that was the reason for his suicide. If,
however, you think it were necessary to
repeat it in court, it will be better not to
speak about it, as it may come out that
it is not true ; but you can say it to
people. If he had gone at least to
Mentone or Nice ! Then God knows
whether he may not have written any-
thing before death to avenge himself on
me. If some letter should fall into the
hands of a newspaper man ! One may
expect anything from such people. I
wanted to leave Nice, but now I must."

Svirski looked more and more atten-
tively on her troubled face ; finally he
said :

" How horrid ! "

" Yes, it is horrid ! " answered Mrs.
Elzen. " Would it not increase the
gossip if we leave to-morrow ?

" I don't think so/' said Svirski.

IN MONTE CARLO 135

And he inquired about the hotel in
which Kresovich shot himself, and said
that he would go there to get some news
and arrange for the funeral.

But she wanted to stop him, so he
said :

" Madam ! he is not a dog but a man ;
and it's proper to bury him, at least/'

" Somebody will bury him without
you," she answered.

Svirski took leave, however, and went
out. On the stairs of the hotel he raised
his hand to his forehead and repeated :

" How horrid ! "

He knew by experience how far human
egotism can go ; he knew also that
women, in egotism as well as in self-
denial, overtop men ; he recollected that
he had already met such types of
womanhood among whom, under the
exterior coat of varnish, the rough,
animal-like egotism was hidden — in
whom all moral instinct ended where
the personal interest began. Mrs. Elzen,

136 IN MONTE CARLO

however, was able to astonish him.
" This unfortunate man," he said to
himself, " was an instructor of her
children ; he used to live with her
under the same roof, and was in love
with her. And she ? Not a word of
sympathy, of pity ! Nothing and no-
thing ! She is angry with him for the
trouble he has caused her, that he did
not go far from the city, that he has
spoiled the season for her, that they
will talk about her ; but she never
thought to ask what was the matter
with him, why he had killed himself,
and had he not done it for her ? And
in her irritation she forgot that she
betrayed herself, and that, if not on
account of a womanly heart, at least on
account of good sense, she ought to
have shown me that she is better than
that. Ah ! what a spiritual barbarism !
Appearances, appearances, that is all ;
under a French corset and the French
accent, the primitive nature of a Zulu

IN MONTE CARLO 137

woman ! Civilisation applied to the skin
like powder ! She is even impudent
enough to ask me to tell people that he
was gambling with her money ! Pooh !
May a thunderbolt strike all this busi-
ness ! "

Thus thinking and speaking, he reached
Condamine and found the small hotel in
which the suicide was committed. In
Kresovich's room he found a physician
and a police official, who were very glad
he had come, because they thought he
could give them some information about
the dead man.

"He left a note," said the official,
" asking to be buried in a common
grave, and giving an address in Zurich
where his money is to be sent. He has
burned all his papers."

Svirski looked at Kresovich, who was
lying on the bed with opened, frightened
eyes.

" The dead man believed that he
would never recover his health," said

138 IN MONTE CARLO

he ; ' that is probably the reason he
committed suicide. He never gambled."

Then he said everything he knew
about Kresovich, left money enough to
purchase a separate grave, and went
out.

While walking, he recollected what
Kresovich said to him in Nice about
microbes, also his answer, given to
Viadrovski, that he had joined tne
society of " silent ones." So he con-
vinced himself that the young student
killed himself because he thought he
could never be cured.

But he understood there might be
other reasons, and among them the
unhappy love for Mrs. Elzen and his
parting from her. These thoughts made
him sad. Kresovich's body, with the
fright in its eyes, stood before him.
He thought that nobody plunged into
that fearful darkness without fright ;
that the whole of life, compared with
the certainty of death was gigantic,

IN MONTE CARLO 139

tragical nonsense ; and he returned to
Mrs. Elzen very low-spirited.

She was relieved on learning that
Kresovich had left no papers. She
said that she would send the money
necessary for a decent funeral, and now
talked about him with a certain pity.
But she could not 'persuade Svirski to
stay with her. The painter announced
that he must go home.

" But I shall see you at least in the
evening ? " she said, shaking hands with
him. " I wanted to go with you to
Nice."

" What for ? " asked Svirski, aston-
ished.

" Have you forgotten ? To the ball on
board the Formidable."

" Ah ! you are going to the ball,
then ? "

" If you only knew how hard it will
be for me, especially after such an un-
pleasant accident, you would pity me ;
because, in fact, I am really sorry for

140 IN MONTE CARLO

the poor young man. But I must do it,
if only to prevent any scandal so that
nobody may think anything/'

" So ? Good-bye ! " said Svirski.

And a few moments later, sitting in the
train, he said to himself :

" I'll be a dead crab if I go with you
to a ball on the Formidable, or any other
ball ! "

CHAPTER VIII

A NEW INTEREST IN LIFE

BUT the next day his sadness had passed,
when Mrs. Cervi and her daughter came
to his studio. Seeing the beautiful fresh
face of the girl, he became even joyful.

In the studio everything was ready :
the easel was placed near the window,
the sofa for the use of the model not
far from it. Madame Legrand received
the most precise orders not to let 'any-
body in, even if Queen Victoria herself
should call.

Svirski drew the curtains and darkened
the window in the ceiling ; but while
doing so he looked continually at his
gracious model. At the same time the
ladies took off their hats and Miss
Cervi asked :

" What shall I do now ? "
141

142 IN MONTE CARLO

" You must first let your hair fall,"
said Svirski.

He approached her as she raised both
hands to her head. It was apparent that
his request made her uneasy, and
seemed strange to her. Svirski looked
at her confused face, drooping eyes,
bent figure, and the elegant lines of her
hips, and thought that in this big pail
of filth — Nice — he had discovered a true
pearl.

After a while her fair, beautiful, hair
fell over her shoulders. Miss Cervi shook
her head to dishevel it, and it covered
her completely.

" Corpo Dio ! " exclaimed Svirski. The
more difficult task was to pose the
model. Svirski noticed that the girl's
heart beat quicker, that her breasts
heaved faster, and her cheeks burned
as though she were obliged to fight
against an instinctive bashfulness ; with
an uneasiness like that which causes one
an unknown pleasure.

IN MONTE CARLO 143

Therefore he said to himself, " No,
she is not a common model — she is quite
different — and I am not looking at her
simply as a painter/' In fact, he was
embarrassed, and his fingers trembled
as he was placing her head on a cushion ;
but, wishing to dispel his agitation, he
began to talk jokingly :

" Keep quiet now ! That way ! One
must do something for art. Now, that's
well ! How beautiful your profile looks
against the red ground ! If you could
see it — but you can't ! Don't smile —
it's forbidden. You must sleep ! I am
going to paint immediately ! '

And be began to work, but soon
stopped and asked Mrs. Cervi about past
times. He learned from her that Maria
had had a very good position in • the
house of some countess, daughter of a
rich manufacturer from Lodz. But she
dismissed her on learning that Maria's
father and grandfather had served in
the Italian army. It was very hard for

144 IN MONTE CARLO

them, because they both wished very
much for Maria to become a reader
to some lady living in Nice during the
winter, and then they would not have
been obliged to separate.

The painter awakened in Svirski. He
frowned, looked over the handle of his
brush to the reclining girl, and painted
diligently. From time to time he put
aside the palette and brushes, approached
the model, and corrected the position of
her head. Then he bent over her more
than was necessary for the interest of
art, and when he felt the warmth of her
young body, when he looked on her long
eyelashes and the slightly opened mouth,
a thrill ran through his bones, his fingers
trembled nervously, and he said to
himself. :

" Keep up, old man ! What the
deuce ! Keep up ! '

Surely he was getting quite fond of
her. Her embarrassment, her blushes,
her modesty, coupled with a certain

IN MONTE CARLO 145

virginal coquettishness, made him happy.
All this proved to him that she did not
consider him an old man. He felt that
she liked him, too. Her grandfather
surely had told her marvellous things
about his countrymen, and maybe ex-
cited her imagination.

She doubtless thought she had now met
one of them — not a common one —
honest, famous, who appeared to her
as in a fairy tale, at the moment of
greatest need, with help and kindness.
How could she help feeling sympathy
for him and looking on him with
gratitude ?

All these things made the time pass
very rapidly with Svirski, and he did not
notice that it was already noon. But at
twelve o'clock Miss Cervi said that they
must go back, as they had left grandpa
alone, and that they must give him his
luncheon. Svirski asked them to come
in the afternoon. If they did not wish
to leave the old man alone, perhaps they

K

146 IN MONTE CARLO

would ask someone to stay with him.
Perhaps the housekeeper, or her husband.
Two sittings a day would be useful. If
they had to pay someone to watch the
old man, he would consider it a favour
if they would permit him to meet the
expense — because, above all, he wanted
to do his best for the picture.

Two sittings a day for Miss Cervi was
very good business, and considering the
misery in the house, she could not refuse.
Therefore they agreed to come again at
two o'clock. The happy Svirski deter-
mined to conduct them home.

At the door of the house the house-
keeper handed him a bunch of musk
roses, telling him that they were brought
by two lovely boys, and that they wished
to enter the studio, but she had refused
to let them in.

Svirski answered that she had acted
wisely, and he gave the roses to Miss
Cervi. In a few moments they were on
the Promenade des Anglais. Nice seemed

IN MONTE CARLO 147

to Svirski to be prettier and more
animated than ever. He enjoyed the
noise, which had always made him
angry. They met Viadrovski and de
Sinten, who stopped, having noticed the
artist. He saluted them and passed ; but
while passing he noticed that De Sinten
put his eyeglass to his eye, looked at
Miss Cervi, and exclaimed with astonish-
ment, " Prrristi ! " They both followed
him for a while, but opposite the Jetee-
Promenade Svirski took a carriage and
conducted the ladies home.

The idea came to him to invite the
whole family to luncheon, but he thought
there would be a bother with the old
man, and that, considering their short
acquaintance, such a sudden invitation
might surprise Mrs. Cervi. Instead of
that, he promised himself that when
they had found someone to take care of
the old man, he would have luncheon
served in the studio to save time. After
leaving the ladies at the door, he rushed

148 IN MONTE CARLO

to the first restaurant he could see,
and there he swallowed some food, hardly
knowing what he was eating. Mrs.
Elzen, Romulus and Remus, the bunches
of musk roses, all passed through his
mind. A few days ago the beautiful
widow, and his intercourse with her,
were questions of great importance to
him. He remembered how he had
struggled with himself in the boat coming
back from Villa Franca. Now he thought
" All that doesn't exist for me any longer,
and I shall not think of it again/' And
he did not feel the slightest uneasiness
or the smallest remorse. On the con-
trary, it seemed to him that some heavy
burden had fallen from his shoulders.
All his thoughts returned to Miss Cervi.
She was in his eyes and in his head ; in
his imagination he saw her again with
her dishevelled hair, and closed eyes, and
when he thought that in about an hour
he would be able to touch her temples
with his fingers, to bend over her,

IN MONTE CARLO 149

and feel the warmth of her young body,
he was as intoxicated as though he had
drank wine, and he asked himself for
the second time :

" Well, what will become of you, old
man ? "

But when he got back to his studio
he found a telegram from Mrs. Elzen :
" I am expecting you for dinner at six
o'clock." He quickly pushed it into
his pocket, and when the Cervis came,
he forgot it so completely that, having
finished his work, about five o'clock,
he began to wonder where he should
go and dine, and was quite distressed
because he did not know what to do in
the evening.

CHAPTER IX

A TRAGICAL FARCE

THE next day, when Madame Legrand
brought the luncheon for three people,
she told him that those two lovely
boys had been again, but this time with
an elegantly-dressed lady.

" The lady wanted to see you, but I
told her you had gone to Antibes."

" To Toulon ! To Toulon ! " answered
the painter merrily.

The day following a letter came.
Svirski did not read it. And it hap-
pened that day that, wishing to correct
Miss Cervi's " position/' he put his
hands under her shoulders and lifted
her, so that their breasts touched and her
breath bathed his face. She became
very much confused, and he said to
himself that if such a moment would
150

IN MONTE CARLO 151

only last long enough, it would be worth
while to give his life for it.

In the evening he spoke to himself
thus :

" You have never felt like this before,
because this time your soul is governing
your senses — and all because she is a
child who has remained pure on this
dunghill of Nice. This time I am not
deceiving myself — the reality speaks.1'

And it seemed to him that he had a
sweet dream.

Two days afterwards, he received
another letter, which was given to him
in the presence of both ladies.

He opened it rather unwillingly, glanced
at it, and his face expressed confusion.

" You must excuse me, ladies/' he
said, after a while. " I have received
such news that I must leave you im-
mediately/'

" Nothing bad, I hope ? " asked Mrs,
Cervi, solicitously.

" No ! no 1 Still, I may not be able

152 IN MONTE CARLO

to return for our afternoon sitting. But
I shall arrange everything to-day, and
to-morrow I shall have peace."

Having said this, he took leave of
them a little feverishly but cordially ;
and a few moments later he was sitting
in the carriage on the road to Monte
Carlo.

As he passed the Jetee-Promenade he
pulled out the letter and read it again.
It was as follows :

" I am waiting for you this afternoon.
If you do not come by the four o'clock
train, I know what 1 shall do.

" MORPHINE."

He was afraid of this signature, for
he was still under the influence of Kreso-
vich's recent smcide.

" Who knows/' said he to himself,
" what this woman may do — if not in
her offended love, then in her offended
selfishness ? I should not have acted
as I have. I ought to have answered

IN MONTE CARLO 153

the first letter — and broken with her.
One should not play with anyone, good
or bad. This time I will break with her,
but I must do it now, and not wait till
four o'clock.

And he bade the coachman make haste.
He tried to persuade himself that Mrs.
Elzen would not make any attempts
on her life. But there were moments
when he doubted whether her monstrous
egotism, if offended, would not push
her to commit some such dreadful deed.

He remembered that there was a
certain stubbornness in her character, a
certain determination and courage. It
is true that the thought of her children
should stop her ; but will it ?

" Does she really care about those
children ? And thinking what might
happen, his hair stood up on end. His
conscience began to trouble him again,
and a new fight commenced within him.
Miss Cervi's picture passed before his
eyes continually, arousing bitter sorrow.

154 IN MONTE CARLO

"It is true/' he repeated to himself,
' that I am going to break my engage-
ment, but I feel a great uneasiness.
What shall I do if this bad, vain and
revengeful woman should say to me,
' You or morphine ? ' "

And at the same time, apart from
uneasiness and uncertainty, he felt
disgusted ; for it seemed to him that
such a question was only worthy of
some false heroine belonging to ' bad
literature/'

But what would happen if she did
threaten to kill herself ? In society,
especially in Nice, there are many women
who belong to " bad literature/'

Bothered by these thoughts, and amid
clouds of grey dust, he arrived at last at
Monte Carlo, and told the coachman
to stop at the Hotel de Paris. Before
he could alight, he perceived Romulus
and Remus playing ball on the lawn.
They rushed towards him.

" Good morning, sir ! "

IN MONTE CARLO 155

" Good morning ! "

" Good morning ! Is your mother in
her room ? '

tl No. Maman has gone on horseback
with Monsieur de Sinten."

There was a silence.

" Ah ! mamma went with Monsieur de
Sinten ! ' repeated Svirski. " Very
well ! "

After a while he added :

"It is true ! She did not expect me
before four o'clock ! '

Suddenly he began to laugh.
' The drama is ended by a farce.
I have forgotten — we are on the Riviera !
What an ass I am ! '

" Will you wait for maman ? " asked
Romulus.

"No. Boys, listen. Tell your mother
that I came to bid her good-bye, and
that I am sorry I did not see her, as
I am going away to-day/'

And he told the coachman to return
to Nice.

156 IN MONTE CARLO

In the evening he received a telegram
with only one word in it — " Villain."

When he read it, it made him merry,
because it was not signed " Morphine."

CHAPTER X

LOVE

Two weeks after the picture represent-
ing " Sleep and Death " was finished,
Svirski began another, which he called
" Euterpe/' But he could not work.
He complained that the light was too
sharp, and, instead of painting, looked
at the beautiful Miss Cervi's face, as
if searching for Euterpe's expression.
He looked at her so intently that Miss
Cervi blushed, and he became more and
more uneasy. At last one morning he
said suddenly, in a strange voice :

" I notice one thing — that you both
love Italy very much."

' We and grandpa also ! ''' answered
Miss Cervi.

" And I too. I have spent half my
life in Florence and Rome. There the
light is not so sharp, and one can paint

157

158 IN MONTE CARLO

all day long. Yes ! Who would not
love Italy ? Do you know what I am
thinking about sometimes ? '

Miss Cervi bent her head and looked
at him attentively. That was her way
of listening to him.

'' I think that every man has two
fatherlands : one his own, and the
other — Italy. Because all culture, all
art, and all knowledge — everything,
comes from there. Let us take Re-
naissance. Truly ! Everybody is a
child, or at least a grandchild, of Italy/'

"Yes/' answered Miss Cervi.

He went on :

" I don't remember whether I ever
told you that I have a studio in Rome,
on the Via Marghetti, and since the
light has become so sharp here, I long
for my studio. How lovely it would
be if we could go to Rome ! After-
wards we would go to Warsaw/'

"It is impossible ! ' answered Miss
Cervi, with a sad smile.

IN MONTE CARLO 159

He approached her quickly, and
taking hold of both her hands, spoke,
looking into her eyes with a great ten-
derness :

" Yes, it is possible, my sweetest !
Don't you guess how ? '

And when she became pale, he pressed
her hands to his breast, and said :

" By becoming my wife."

THE END

PG Sienkiewicz, Henryk
7158 In Monte Carlo
S4N313

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